


The Awkward Love Life Of A Sheltered College Werewolf

by AllTheseSquaresMakeACircle



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Discrimination, Drinking, Everybody Lives, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Jock Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nerd Derek Hale, POV Derek, Pack Bonding, Pack Dynamics, Peter Hale is a Little Shit, Rutting, Scent Kink, Scent Marking, Stiles Stilinski is a Little Shit, Unsafe Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23746465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheseSquaresMakeACircle/pseuds/AllTheseSquaresMakeACircle
Summary: Derek had been used to being home schooled. Being used to be surrounded by pack, and nothing but pack. When he decides he's going to attend college, like a normal person, his family has a fit. Derek goes anyway. It's scary and new and exciting. Then he meets Stiles. Then...Things get even more exciting.
Relationships: Cora Hale/Isaac Lahey, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 91
Kudos: 914
Collections: Sterek Goodness, Teen wolf





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I told myself that I wouldn't fully retire from the Sterek fandom until I finished the WIP's that were left in my folder. This is the second of the two. It's based off a prompt I saw on Tumblr about a year ago. Get ready for shy, sheltered nerd Derek, and cocky, but charming jock Stiles.

Derek had his bags packed and ready to go. For the last hour, all he had done was stare at the wall. Wondering, truly wondering, if he had made the right decision. Nearly the entirety of his family had been against it. Him going to college. Even though he was just going to Beacon Hills University. Barely a thirty minute drive from their house in the preserve. Still, they had not supported it. Not by a longshot.

As a born wolf, in the Hale family no less, Derek had become used to a certain way of life. Wherein he enjoyed little, if no freedoms of his own choosing. His family was wealthier than most. They wanted for nothing. They needed nothing. That being said, he had never once attended a public institution.

His entire school life had been spent in online classes and private tutors. He, from time to time, would play sports at a rec center with other wolves. Which was owned by wolves. And run by wolves. There was no real interaction outside of his own species. One that he had craved for some time. More so than he cared to admit at first.

In the late hours of the night, in the dark of his room, he would scroll through his phone. Trying to find out more about the world his family had shut away from him. He wasn’t allowed to go to the movies. Or the mall. Or anywhere humans might have been. It was suffocating more days than not. But he understood well enough.

No amount of money or standing could change the world. Nor the way it viewed him. Especially since he was an alpha. Humans feared what they didn’t understand. They hated it. They wished it destroyed. That’s what he had been taught his entire life. And even with the very real dangers of the world, he wanted to see it. He wanted to experience life outside of his pack.

The first time he saw an ad for Beacon Hills University, he felt his heart stop. It was almost too good to be true. Just outside the preserve. Close enough that he could experience life outside the pack. But not so far away that he would actually be separated from them. There were dormitories he could stay in. as well as reasonable parking that he could use. It was…well…perfect.

The class options were surprisingly varied. Beacon Hills, by no means, was all that large or expansive. Just large enough to have its own university, and some impressive public institutions. Derek had most of his classes picked out within two days. He could pay for it without any of his pack knowing. As he had his own accounts separate from theirs. Everything was going well. Until he actually got around to telling them.

Their house in the preserve was large, and had more than enough space to live together. That being said, even if it was normal by werewolf standards, he wanted space. He wanted room to breathe and to think and to just…..be. When he tells his family, when he tells his pack, it is in the most casual, easy thing he could imagine. At dinner, in simple conversation. There was a brief, tense moment of silence. Then, all hell broke loose.

His mother was the first to explode. Then his father. Then Laura. He had expected that straight out of the gate. Cora was shockingly silent. (Given that she usually had an opinion on literally everything.) Peter just smiled and kept sipping his wine. Derek waited until he had heard all of their arguments. All of their protests. The discord. The anger. The sense of betrayal. The fact that his mother would never allow it. Yada yada yada. Then, he made good on his intentions.

“Either you let me go, or I emancipate myself.”

That…that earned him the reaction that he was expecting. A werewolf emancipation was quite like a human one. But rather than separating from the parents or guardians, a wolf separated themselves from their pack. It was nearly unheard of. Given that werewolves were pack creatures. They lived and breathed pack. That’s how it had always been. Derek decided that he wanted something different.

His mother storms out. His father and Laura not far behind him. Cora looks at him like he’s the worst thing in the world. As if he had crawled out of the depths of hell just to spite and torture them. Peter kept silent, and said not one word the entire time. The rest of the pack would know within the hour. Derek steeled himself to hold firm in his decision. As it had not been easy.

His mother did not speak to him for three days. He hardly saw her. She avoided him entirely. His father, at the very least, spoke to him. Laura actually left. She stayed at a friend’s house. Derek did not blame her. She was the future alpha of their pack. The head of their family. That was her right as first born. Part of her, some irrational part, would have blamed herself for his choice. That, as his older sister, she could have done something different.

He didn’t bother to try and make nice. Nor apologize. Even if his pack did not approve, he was going to college. Not from a computer. Not from private tutors they paid absurd amounts of money towards. He was going to the local university. He was taking his classes. And no one was going to change his mind. No matter the lack of talking. Or scornful looks. He was going.

It was a week before things managed to calm down. His family was speaking to him again. But not happily. Derek had no illusions that they supported his decision. That they would be okay with him leaving for Beacon Hills University. So when he mother comes up with a stack of pamphlets, he had to brace himself.

They were all for reputable universities. Some close, some, a little bit further away. But no more than two hours or so. And each and every last one of them was for shifters only. Founded by shifters. Run by shifters. Staffed by shifters. Derek threw all of them in the trash.

He had been among werewolves his entire life. Lived with them. Learned with them. Played with them. Spent full moons with them. Derek wanted the world to see him, and he wanted to see the world. Not be chucked off to some sorry, poor imitation of what he wanted. Just because it made his mother happy. She went back to not talking to him. He learned to deal with it.

Now that he was actually leaving, there wasn’t really anything that they could do. Apart from slashing his tires that is. Derek had his own bank accounts, and was a legal adult. There was no stopping him from moving forward with his decision. Even if part of his mourned the loss of his pack while he was at school. His wolf would cry for them at first. But he wanted to see the world, and his family did not want to join him in that.

When he takes his bags downstairs, everyone is waiting for him. His mother holds him like he was the most precious thing in the world. As if might break. As if she were to let go, for even a second, that he would vanish into thin air. Never to return. His father is the same. Derek does not cry.

Laura and Cora circle him and enclose with their arms. Soft sounds emanating from their throats. Almost like a funeral dirge. Again, Derek does not cry. All his cousins and aunts. Everyone in his extended family had come to see him off. Even though he was only going to be half an hour away. Not that he was going to the other side of the country. And he always had his cellphone.

Peter is the last to say goodbye. Though, he actually doesn’t. He just claps a hand on the alpha’s shoulder. Smiling that shit eating grin he always wore. Out of all Derek’s family, out of all of his pack, Peter was the only one who, in any way, offered support to his decision. Derek didn’t know why, nor did he care for that matter. It was just nice to have someone, anyone, that maybe understood why he was doing what he was doing.

When he closes the care door, it feels louder than it was. Much like a cannon in the night. Shattering. Shaking. It seems to reverberate in his bones. The finality of it rings like a nightmare. He was afraid. That, Derek would admit to himself. That, he would hold true to himself. He was making his first, true independent choice. When he drives away, every last part of his wolf wants to howl.

He had only ever been into Beacon Hills in the company of his pack. They never went anywhere where there was less than three of them. And there was always an alpha in the group. Sometimes, he just went to fulfill that requirement. It wasn’t as if wolves were disliked, or even actively hated in town. But people didn’t trust them. He remembers reading news articles when he was younger. About how certain states required non-humans to register with a housing authority. That way, people would know who, and what, their neighbors where.

Given that they lived in the preserve, and owned it for that matter, Derek and his pack did not have to worry about any of that. They were their own authority. They were their own governors. That being said, in town, they had none of that. And people, even at their best, could still be horrendous.

He hadn’t actually been up to the university yet. All of the registration had taken place online, and through a rather extensive set of emails. For which Derek was grateful. Thankfully, his phone was the latest model, and had a wonderful GPS system. He had no trouble finding it.

The student parking lot was nearly half full when he arrived. Derek keeps his head down as he emerges from the Camaro. Toting his suitcases and massive duffle behind him. There were a few eyes that moved towards him, but no one said or did anything. The irrational fear ebbed ever so slightly. He had never been in town without someone from his pack. And it made him nervous.

He had downloaded a campus map from online. So finding his way to Student Services was rather easy. Much to his fortune, there weren’t too many people there. And he made his way to the front of the line quick enough. The woman that greets him is ancient, and smells of mothballs and cedar wood.

Her eyebrows go into her hairline when she pulls up Derek’s information. There is a sour tinge to her scent. A telltale sign of fear. She was afraid of him. He had expected that when he registered. The campus advertised that it was staffed by both humans and shifters. She, obviously, was human.

The woman hands him a stack of papers. Various introductory items. His dorm assignment, his class schedule. As well as his student ID. Which had a glaring ‘W’ by his name, as well as an ‘A’ to match it. W for werewolf, and A for alpha. Everyone would know who he was, and his status. It was unnerving. To think that, with this little piece of plastic, any anonymity he had would vanish within seconds. He opted not to think about it as he left. Giving the woman a small smile as he left. She did not return it.

The dorms were much what he had expected. Small, and not all that lavish or elaborate. Given that it was a small university, and he had taken a room despite living close by. His family didn’t approve of him leaving for school to begin with. Opting to stay living with them, even with the proximity, would have helped nothing. He wasn’t picky about where they put him. So long as he had a bed.

There are a number of students clamoring in the halls already. A great cacophony of noise fills the air. It sends goosebumps across his arms, and chill down his spine. There were countless scents to decipher. Most were human, some shifter. That being said, he could tell he was the only alpha in the building. Part of him was glad for that. He was not territorial or aggressive. His parents had raised him correctly.

His room as at the back of the first floor. Away from the general loudness of the rest of the building. For which he was grateful. Having lived with wolves all his life meant sound proof walls and a general respect for common curtesy. Even still, what awaited him when he opened the door wasn’t what he had expected.

The young man is barely eighteen from the looks of him. Curly blonde-brown hair. Sharp eyes, and, for some unknown reason, a scarf wrapped around his neck and shoulders. Despite it being the middle of spring. He perks up at Derek’s entry. Seemingly unconcerned with the fact that an alpha had just walked through the door. He hadn’t expected to be roomed with another wolf. Considered it, but realistically, the odds were low.

Derek sets his bags down on the bed. Turning towards the other wolf, extending his hand in greeting.

“Derek Hale.”

“Isaac Layhe.” The name is not familiar. He didn’t know of any packs with that name. It didn’t really matter all that much.

Beyond the greetings, they don’t say anything else towards each other. The both of them simply put away their things in their respective drawers. Isaac seems to favor winter clothes over everything else. Maybe he was cold natured. Derek tried not to think too much into it. He had better things to be concerned about. Namely, how well an alpha and a beta were going to room together. At the very least, Isaac didn’t seem too upset about having him for a roommate.

He was just finishing putting the last of his things away when the door opened, and in came someone…Derek hadn’t quite seen someone like that before. He wasn’t all that much younger than Derek. Lithe. A mess of chestnut brown hair, and eyes that gleamed like amber in sunlight. The alpha hadn’t seen a man like him before. Nor smelled one like him before that matter.

It was like all the best things of spring and autumn all rolled into one. Rich spice, and a bright clear breeze. It was a comforting scent. Something that made Derek feel both calm, and excited at the same time. Almost like…like he was pack. Yet, he in no way was.

“Isaac, they said you wanted to see me. I swear to god, if it’s some bullshit again.”

The young man was talking to Isaac, but he was looking towards Isaac. Eyes moving up and down his form. Wide, and quivering. Derek suddenly felt very exposed and insecure. Even though there was no reason for him to be.

“I did need to speak with you, and it isn’t bullshit. The rest of the people in these dorms need to shower. Even the humans are starting to be able to smell the funk coming off some of them.”

“This may come as a shock to you, scarf-boy, but I can’t make people take a shower. That’s kind of a self-governing kinda thing.” The man said incredulously.

Derek tried to avert his gaze, and went back to putting away his things. Ignoring, as best he could, the bickering between Isaac and the ma that had barged into their room. Being a born wolf, he was better at tuning out sounds than most shifters. He had been taught since he was a pup. And even now, that was being put to the test.

“So, now that we’ve settled on basic civil liberties, care to introduce us Isaac?”

Derek felt his stomach drop, and his heart shoot into his throat. Despite the fact there was no real reason for that reaction.

“Stiles, this is my roommate, Derek. Derek, this is the perpetual pain in my ass who doesn’t listen, Stiles.”

The alpha turns around and the man, Stiles, already has his hand out for him to shake. He accepts the gesture. And resists the shiver that tries to creep up his spine. Long, slender fingers encase Derek’s own. There were a litany of images that passed through Derek’s mind. None of them even remotely appropriate.

“Stiles, Vice-President of the dorm. Some basic rules. No parties. No girls, ever. You make a mess, clean it. And so help me god, if you microwave fish, or any kind of seafood, I will have your head.”

Despite the severity of the warning, and the enforcement that it came with, Stiles smiled. Ear to ear. Warm. Welcoming. Open. As if he was already Derek’s friend. Which was a strange thing to think about. There was a lot of that strangeness going around. He opted to ignore it.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t really like fish anyway.”

Stiles smiled again. Wider and brighter than before. Derek felt his heart leap again, and a blush creep down his neck. Like a damn school girl. Stiles was…something. And he didn’t quite know what it was. Only that it was alarming.

“Welcome to the dorm, Derek. I hope that you enjoy your stay. And if you need anything, just ask this asshole. I had to give him my number on the day he moved in.”

The alpha nodded, and Stiles excused himself. Playfully giving Isaac the finger as he went. The wolf returned the gesture, sticking out his tongue much like a child would. Derek laughed to himself. Wondering just what the hell had happened, and why Stiles seemed so…different. In light of everything else he had going on, he just decided to finish putting away his underwear.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun stuff. Awkward stuff. Have fun.

Derek had started classes, and so far, a week had gone by. There was a lot he was still learning. Namely, humans were very…close. Wolves, especially born wolves, were always taught privacy and space above all else. Even within the pack itself, respect the appropriate distance. Give people room to breathe. Humans, it seemed, were rather fond of disregarding this.

They crowded lunch tables, and sofas, and desks. Smashing their bodies together in a pile of limbs, and raised voices. Derek, being raised in a pack full of born wolves, was utterly baffled by the concept. Yes, touch and contact was important. It reaffirmed one’s place in the pack. It was a thing of comfort. But there was a limit to that. There were boundaries and rules. He was still learning them.

So far, no one but Isaac and his professors knew that he was an alpha werewolf. Even if the world wasn’t the way it was, he didn’t have any intentions of advertising it. His mother had always told him. Even in the company of other wolves, keep ones status a private. It was considered rude and discourteous to flaunt or boast about it.

Not that he had any real reason to. Being born an alpha was something that just happened by chance. He could have easily been born a beta, or as an omega. That being said, the Hales were known for producing alphas more often than not. But the point remained, he was an alpha. And that was his business and no one else’s.

Surprisingly, he had yet to find any issued with his roommate. Isaac was quiet and reserved. Even on the days where he was more irritable than normal. There was an air of smug about him, but he was never rude or tactless. Derek minded his business, and Isaac his. They roomed well together. Derek was especially carefully to be mindful of the beta’s space and belongings.

A werewolf’s scent was a potent marker. An alpha’s especially. In a pack, alpha’s often marked the omegas to keep them safe. It was to say that they were claimed, and that they were under protection. But it could also be misconstrued as ownership or possession. Even though Isaac was a beta, it remained the same.

Derek didn’t want to leave his scent anywhere it didn’t belong, and in the process, upset his roommate. Isaac was not _his_ beta. Nor did he have any intention of making it so. He had to muster every ounce of courage he had just to come to college. The idea of forming his own pack was one that made his head spin.

For the most part, he kept to himself. And made sure that no one’s attention was drawn towards him. Classes were easy and straightforward. All his professors were honest and upfront. The syllabus was easy to understand, and not overly filled. After years of online classes, and private tutors, all of which had different teaching styles, it was nice to have something more concreate.

Much to the stereotype, he was simply focusing on his basic, entry level courses. Derek didn’t really have a solid idea of what he wanted to do with his life yet. Choosing a career seemed miles and miles away. So, for now, he figured that broadening his horizons was the best possible option. Things were going well. Until they weren’t.

Derek had already found his little corner in the library. It was on the second floor, away from the computers, and far, FAR away from the help desk. It was quiet, and easy. The lighting was perfect for reading. Not so dim that he had to strain his eyes, but not so bright it gave him a headache. He was just beginning to get into his calculus notes when someone plopped themselves down in the chair in front of him.

She was Isaac’s age. Luscious blonde hair and piercing eyes. Lips a shade of red that would make the devil blush. Derek wasn’t used to that kind of look. The girls he grew up with were simple, small town folk. Not that werewolves didn’t wear makeup, he just didn’t know any that did. But that wasn’t the most alarming thing about her. It was her scent. She was an omega. There was telltale softness that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. Small, and sweet. Something that seemed so completely right that it didn’t make any more sense than the man on the moon.

There weren’t any words that could accurately describe the way an omega smelled. Especially to an alpha. Derek had been taught, especially by his mother, that they were not toys or things for mating. They were people, just the same as he was. No matter how good they may have smelled. It was something that he had carried with him all his life. Those lessons of respect.

That, even still, was not the most alarming thing. What was alarming, was the warmth of her scent. Like a small wave of hazy fire was wafting off of her. She was in heat. Or, she would be very soon. Why she was out and about, walking around the library, he didn’t know. Any knowledgeable omega would have already been at home, or in a heat clinic. But she wasn’t. She was here. Sitting in front of him.

“Hi?” It came out more like a question, as opposed to a greeting. Given how confused he was.

“Hi, listen. I need your help. Like, now.” There was an urgency to her voice. It sounded like panic.

“Okay, but I have no idea what I could help you with.” Derek said.

“I need you to walk me to the heat clinic on the other side of campus.”

Derek had known about the on-sight heat clinic. It had been one of the things that the school advertised. And it was rather useful. Werewolves, no matter how much they wanted to never talk about, had a mating cycles. For omegas, they went into heat. For alpha and beta males, they went into rut. There was no shame in it, but it wasn’t entirely common to ask a random alpha to be an escort.

“Listen, you’re in my calculus class. And out of all the wolves in there, you seem like the least douchiest one. So, I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and ask you for this completely unprecedented favor. But we need to go, like now.”

Derek didn’t bother really thinking too much into her request. Given that she was desperate, and asking for his help. So, he packed his things up, and was off to the races. The young woman stayed firmly by side, but not so close that they were touching. He appreciated the sentiment.

Omegas in heat were highly receptive to touch. And scent. That of an alpha could be…unsettling. So, he keeps pace with her as they walk across campus. For the most part, no one pays them any mind. Almost all of them are human, and that helps. The few wolves that did, seemed to know better than to approach them.

As far as Derek knew, he was the only alpha currently enrolled on the campus. At least, he hadn’t encountered another one, nor had he come across their scent. Even if there was one, any decent alpha wouldn’t approach an unknown omega with unsavory intentions. That being said, not all alphas were decent.

When they reach the clinic, the young woman all but rips the hinges on the door trying to get inside. Derek follows behind her, and immediately regretted it. The entirety of the inside of the clinic, of course, smelled like omegas. There was a part of his brain that screamed and howled, and not in a good, or dignified way. It was a natural reaction to be enticed by the scent of omegas. Particularly ones that were this close to their heat. He stomped his wolf down, and walked Erica to the front desk.

The lady is calm, and in no way flustered. Erica asks for an emergency heat blocker. Which, to Derek seemed drastic. Normally, blockers were taken on a regular schedule. To keep heat cycles suppressed, and under control. Some people took them because they could not afford to take time off for a week while their bodies went through a mating cycle. Some, because they simply disliked their heats. And others, because of some manner of illness that made their heats unpleasant.

Erica signs a rather large amount of paperwork, and Derek just stands perfectly still. After a few minutes, someone comes out from the back. To his surprise, it’s Stiles. The young man is smiling brightly, and takes Erica by the hand and explains the process that’s to come. He only notices Derek when he looks up, and his face falls in a way that caused concern.

“Derek? What are you doing here?” Stiles’ question was valid, and the alpha didn’t have time to answer.

“I asked him to escort me because he was the least likely to try and grope me.”

“Oh, that’s really good of you. But I really need you not to take this the wrong way. I need you to leave, like now.” Stiles’ words were not filled with malice or anger. But concern.

“Stiles, don’t be a dick.”

“Erica, you brought an alpha to a heat clinic. And while I fully understand your choice of escort, him being here is a liability in the eyes of the university. As well as causing him and the others some serious discomfort.”

Derek doesn’t bother to try and reason with the other man. He just turns around and leaves. Storming out of the clinic in a hurry. Not wasting times with goodbyes. Nor explaining that he was perfectly civilized, and wouldn’t become a ravenous, drooling-at-the-mouth stereotype.

He doesn’t make it more than a few yards from the clinic before some snatches his wrist. Stiles is there, flushed and panting. As if he had just got done sprinting. It was a good look. That little tinge of red in his cheeks. The way his chest rose and fell as he breathed. Derek suddenly found himself very distracted.

“Listen, I’m sorry. That came out way worse than how I wanted it to sound.”

“How did you know I was an alpha?” Derek’s question is valid, and one that he wanted answered.

He held no shame in being a werewolf, nor an alpha for that matter. But that was private information. Privy only to the staff that had admitted him. His professors. And the people that handled orientation. So, there wasn’t any reason that Stiles should know that.

“Your eyes, dude. They’re screaming red right now.”

Derek cursed himself for his stupidity. He had been so distracted by the omegas in the clinic that he hadn’t even realized that he was partially shifted. A wolf’s eyes were the first signs of the shift, and the one’s that made the most statement. It was often seen as a challenge to show one’s eyes to another wolf. Standing in the middle of heat clinic….Derek would have looked like an animal.

“Listen, please don’t think I’m one of those asshole who thinks that all wolves are…You get the point. But clinic rules are clinic rules. No alphas unless you’re there for your rut.”

“You handle ruts?” Derek was confused.

“Yeah, dude. When the campus started admitting shifters, they built the place to help out with ya’ll’s time of the month. It’s not as extensive or well-staffed as you might find in a big city, but we make it work for the shifter students we have.”

The alpha was honestly surprised. He had known and read about the clinic in the online brochures. But it hadn’t mentioned anything about males being able to go there for help with their ruts. Which, if he was being completely honest with himself, would be an issue down the road. There wasn’t a blocker for his rut like there was for omegas. At least, not any ones that didn’t come with a list of very unpleasant side effects.

He had tried them when he was younger. When he first started his rut cycle. His mother had given him the option, and explained that it would not, in any way be pleasant. Rather than suffer nearly a week of unbearable horniness and discomfort, he opted to try and take them. To say that the experience was unenjoyable would have been an understatement.

They made him incomprehensibly sleepy, and when he wasn’t asleep, he was angry. Every little thing irritated him. He had to apologize to his family when it was all over. Ever since then, he had used the clinic a couple towns over to get through his rut. They were well staffed, and offered a variety of solutions and treatments. Derek always used the same one.

“So, why are you at the clinic then? I mean, you’re human.”

“Oh…Because I can’t smell it. All of the staff that handles omega students are either omegas themselves, or human. Cause, we don’t get all keyed up about it.” Stiles smiled that charming smile of his.

“That’s fair. Sorry for causing you trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it, big guy. Maybe under better circumstances, you can cause me some trouble in another way.”

Derek felt a blush creep up his face and spread right onto his ears. Stiles’ voice had taken on a sultry, luscious tone. And the alpha found himself…unsettled. Also, maybe, much to his complete shock, aroused. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he had just been in a clinic full of omegas.

Stiles turns on his heel, and heads back into the clinic. Derek goes straight towards the dorms. He has another class this afternoon, but after today’s events, he thinks that he can afford to skip it. back in his room, sans Isaac, Derek grabs a clean pair of clothes and heads towards the showers.

When he first got to them, he was mortified. They were communal. With only a thin curtain separating each section. Back home, he had his own room, and shower. So, he wasn’t exactly used to sharing. That, and the smell of that many males in one place made his head spin. His wolf didn’t care for it. Not at all.

Thankfully, no one is there when he throws himself under the spray. Viciously scrubbing himself down until he’s raw and pink in some places. Derek wanted to remove all traces, however small, of the omegas in the clinic. Namely, because he didn’t want his rut to start early. That would be completely detrimental to his plans. And, he didn’t want to have to use the clinic on campus.

As he continues to wash himself, his wolf perks back up. Thinking and enjoying the memory of Stiles’ scent. The sound of his voice. The way his lips curled when he smiled. He was wrapping his hand around his cock before he even realized what he was doing. Jerking himself off in quick, sharp pulls. Spraying his release down the drain.

He leaves the showers as quickly as he can. Hoping, against everything, that his fellow shifter dorm mates don’t smell anything. Not that they could prove it was him. But he also didn’t want to be the guy that they talked about for jerking off in the shower. He makes his way back to his room. More than ready to sleep.

Much to his misfortune, Isaac is there. Nostrils flaring as soon as Derek enters the room. Eyes flashing gold at his presence. Derek ignores the bluntness of it, and makes his way over to his bed. Collapsing on top of it with not an ounce if restraint. The springs groan under his sudden weight.

“You stink.”

“Had to take someone to the heat clinic today. Get over it.” He says into his pillow.

“Alphas aren’t allowed in the clinic unless they’re in rut.”

“Didn’t know that at the time. She asked for my help. I gave it.”

Derek turned over, away from his roommate. Facing the wall. He didn’t know why he helped the young woman. There wasn’t any reason he had to do it. It’s not that he wasn’t interested, and didn’t care. But he wasn’t exactly obligated to help some random omega either.

He was attracted to her scent. But that’s because she was an omega. Any alpha, on an instinctual level would be. So, that, he understood. But he didn’t understand the driving compulsion to help her. Why he did it. Why he put himself through the discomfort of doing so. Yet, he did it. And in the process came across Stiles.

Derek had seen him simply because the man was Vice-President of the dorm. He was everywhere. Constantly taking and hearing complaints. Among other things. But they never interacted, or spoke beyond a simple greeting. He had no reason to talk to him. And Stiles had no reason to talk to him. Regardless, there was a pull there. Something that Derek enjoyed about the man.

Stiles was charming. Witty. And, as strange as it may have felt to Derek, attractive. Both in appearance and in scent. The alpha had never been this attracted to someone before. Human or werewolf for that matter. Stiles was…something. Cocky, yes. That was definitely a part of his personality. Even still, Derek didn’t, or rather couldn’t deny that he found the other man…appealing.

He stomps back the thoughts that scramble his brains. Not wanting to taint the room with the scent of his arousal. Nor did he want to hear anything from Isaac. Who, no doubt, would have something to complain about. Not that Derek didn’t understand. Being a werewolf was tough business sometimes. And at some of those times, one did not care to smell certain things. Their roommate’s boner among them. He just thinks of puppies and really old nuns. Trying his best to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love a clueless, bumbling Derek. Next chapter, frat houses. And an alpha so far out of his league. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boys and their feelings. Plus, a party. Have fun.

_“So are you at least enjoying your classes?”_

Derek had been surprised by Laura’s call. In that he was surprised that it took her this long to actually call him. As a matter of fact, she was the only one to call him. Derek had not expected either of his parents to do so. However reluctantly, they had accepted his decision to be independent and go to college. But that did not mean that they were going to be able to continue their normal relationship.

Some part of his suspected that Laura wasn’t just calling him for the sake of calling him. She was, more than likely, calling him because the entire pack would be listening in. that’s if she wasn’t in her room. His big sister may not have liked, or even supported his decision. But she always had his back, and cared for him deeply.

As future alpha of their pack, Laura was involved in the lives of her siblings more so than most others would be. An alpha’s job was to ensure peace, safety, and prosperity. It was rather difficult to do that when he no longer lived with them. Even just half an hour away, she would have been worried. Derek did not blame her.

Derek had been raised inside the Hale house for most of his life. He never went anywhere alone. Was never around humans. Apart from the occasional times he went into town. So, for him to now stay and learn with them…that was the entire reason his pack was so against his decision in the first place. Laura, as his future alpha, most of all.

The fact that she hadn’t called within the first week…Derek was surprised. Now, nearly a month had passed since he left home. They hadn’t texted him. Despite the fact that keeping an open line of communication had been drilled into him since the time he was a pup. The call wasn’t unexpected. The timing of it was. Derek wondered what the real motive behind it was.

“My classes are fine, Laura. It’s better than being shut away in the house all day. I get to move around, and actually interact with the world. I like it.”

Derek wasn’t lying. When he first came, he was absolutely fucking terrified. His wolf whined in distress. Too many noises. Too many scents. Too many sounds. It whined for the comfort of pack. It whined at the discomfort of being away from what they knew, and being faced with everything that they didn’t. It was exhilarating. And while the first few days were terrifying, he was excited beyond all belief.

_“Well, at least you’re enjoying yourself. Mom didn’t want…..”_

There was a sudden muffling on the line. Followed by a short scuffled and some growling. Derek didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what the cause was. He knew his pack well enough for that.

_“So, big bro. You fallen into the human’s depraved ways yet?”_

Cora’s voice held the same icy sarcasm as it ever did. Out of the three of them, she had the sharpest tongue, and the least amount of self-control. There were days where she flashed her eyes at the smallest thing. A bad trait for an alpha to have. Overt aggression was never a good personality. Among werewolves, and especially among humans. Who seemed to panic at the slightest things. Derek still loved her.

“I don’t even know what that means, Cora.”

_“You know, like those old movies we used to watch. Reckless drinking. General stupidity. Glorious debauchery.”_ Derek didn’t have to be there to know his sister was smiling.

Given that they were raised by werewolves, around werewolves, and had very little interaction outside of that, the practical knowledge of the human world was…limited. They never really worked with or played with or learned with humans. So, for the most part, TV and movies were the basis of their so called ‘knowledge’.

“Even if I was drinking, we can’t get drunk on human alcohol. And I’m not, for that matter.”

_“As boring as ever. What about your roommate? What’s he like?”_

“He’s fine. Keeps to himself, and we help each other study from time to time.”

_“Is he cute?”_ Derek knew that Cora was smirking now.

“My sister wants to know if you’re cute.”

Isaac looked at him with gross disdain. But otherwise made no comment. Derek smiled a small little smile at his roommate’s expense. He wasn’t the type to flagrantly pursue people. Especially not those related to whom he was sharing a room with.

“Well, all I can tell you is that he as a predilection for scarves, and likes peace and quiet.”

_“Sounds fun. At the very least, I know he wouldn’t sleep around. Maybe I’ll meet him when I come visit you.”_

Derek didn’t know if his little sister was being serious or not. Cora and Laura missed him dearly. He knew that well enough. That being said, they were raised with same fear of human society as he was. Derek was the exception to that. Laura would never abandon her future as alpha of their pack. And Cora lacked enough grace and manners to live in the human world. Among wolves, she would have been fine.

He doesn’t comment on the matter. Simply ending the call. With a promise to have another next week. His sisters accept it, and say their goodbyes. Both of their voices trembling as they did so. Derek blinked away some tears. Trying to keep it together. Being away from his pack was taking a larger toll than he had expected. His wolf whined for them. Cried for them. Worried for them. As an alpha, he had an inborn drive to protect and provide. Now, away from them, even after only a month and a half, he felt himself pulled in the direction of his family.

He focuses on studying over the next few days. His classes were not hard. But attending an actual college meant less leeway with schedules. His online classes and private tutors tended to work at his own pace. Ensuring that he had plenty of time to complete his assignments. Now, his professors had expectations for the completion of assignments. Test, quizzes, and exams were set. And, barring extraordinary circumstances, that would not change.

Nearly a week after the phone call, Derek feels the melancholy set in even deeper. That is, until he is firmly knocked out of it. One minute, he was casually reading. Then, Isaac was rifling through his closet. Turning his clothes over, sifting through things with no concern that they did not belong to him.

“What are you….”

“Shut up, put these on, and come with me. Now.” Isaac’s tone was one of irritation and, Derek thought, anger.

He complied and dressed himself in a pair of black jeans, and a Henley that he hadn’t even remembered bringing. Honestly, the whole part of packing his things had been a blur. But regardless, he had brought them. And Isaac didn’t seem like he was going to leave the matter alone.

When he dressed, the beta gives him a once over. Nodding a small amount of approval. They leave, with Derek having no idea where they’re actually going. Isaac, remaining silent, does not elaborate. Halfway across the campus, Derek had to ask. Given that he was actually really enjoying his book.

“Where are we going exactly?”

“The lacrosse team is having a party to celebrate the start of the season. We’re going. I need a break from studying, and you need to get out of our room.” Isaac doesn’t turn around as he speaks. He just keeps walking.

Derek swallows the lump that had formed in his throat. He had never been to a human social function. Given how he was raised, and being around werewolves, he had no idea of what to expect. His mother had been adamant that he and his sisters associate with their kind, and stay away from humans. Humans were dangerous. Humans weren’t to be trusted. Derek wondered what her reaction would be if she found out that he was flagrantly ignoring that.

When they arrive to where the party is being held, he has to resist the urge to leave. Before they even get inside, Derek can hear the music. It reverberates in his bones, and makes his head hurt. The smell of alcohol and sweat assaults his nostrils. Along with plenty of other things he can’t identify. Isaac doesn’t seem the least bit fazed. Just sauntering right on in.

Derek follows behind a few seconds after. Having steeled himself. Preparing himself. While not entirely accurate, it did look something out of a movie. A mass of bodies and overlapping voices. Speaking and shouting and swaying to the music. It wasn’t even really music. At least, not music that he knew. Rather than any actually lyrics, it was just a cacophony of beats and noise. He felt his wolf whine.

Halfway through the crowd of people, someone claps him on the shoulder. Handing him a cup of something. Quickly moving away with Derek not even being able to get a good look at them. Whatever is in the cup smells sweet. More so than seemed pleasurable. Not knowing any better, he takes a sip of it. Grimacing as the taste of it spreads across his tongue. It may have smelled sweet. But it tasted like something that came out of a bog.

He discreetly sets the cup down. Walking away from it while trying to rearrange his face into a more placid state. The party itself looked….ordinary. It really was something out of a movie. Too many people in not enough space. But somehow fitting together in a way that seemed effortless. No one was bumping past, or running into each other. It seemed like an unspoken code of conduct. Derek hadn’t even had time to admire it before some had draped themselves across his shoulders.

There was the sharp, pungent smell of alcohol. Rather strong alcohol at that. Following that was the soft sweetness that could only belong to an omega. Erica looked the same as she did the last time Derek saw her. Gloriously put together. And with lips to tempt the devil. She smiled rather like the devil as well. Sharp edged, and full of teeth.

“My god, Derek Hale. At a party. After spending so many weeks in class together, I never would have guessed it.”

“It wasn’t exactly by my own choice. Isaac, my roommate, dragged me here.”

Erica smiled even wider. Drinking a large swill from her cup. It smelled like something that would run a car engine.

“Well, I’m glad he did. You always seemed uptight. Have a drink. The stuff that can affect us, even if it’s just a little, is over there.”

She points to a table spread with various bowls of colored liquid. He can tell from here that they would all be unbearably sweet. He has no real intentions of drinking any of it. But he doesn’t tell Erica that as she kisses him on the cheek. Thanking him for taking her to the clinic.

Derek makes his way through the crowd of people, towards the back. Trying, desperately, for somewhere to sit down. He finds one at the very back of the space. Surrounded by people who are much quieter, and much stiller than those that first entered. If nothing else, he can at least appreciate that.

No one pays him any mind when he sits down. A few offer him a small hello, or a wave of their hand. Other than that, he is left entirely alone. Though, it doesn’t last long. Stiles looks far different than the other times that Derek had seen him. Donning a tight jersey that did nothing to hide the broadness of his shoulders. Or the definition in his chest. Derek felt his mouth suddenly go dry.

“Oh, hey dude! Didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Isaac made me come. I didn’t really have anything else to do.” Derek’s lie was feeble, but is passed regardless. Truthfully, he would have rather been back in his dorm. Reading something, or even taking a nap.

Stiles hands him a cup of something that, once again smells overly sweet. He takes a drink of it and finds that it actually does not taste terrible. But it coats his mouth in a way that is uncomfortable. Leaving an aftertaste that he does not care for all that much. Nor the sudden fuzziness that fills his head. Almost as if there wasn’t enough air in the room.

“That, right there, is pure grain booze buddy boy. About the only human stuff that can affect you guys.”

“You don’t have any wolfsbane alcohol?” Derek asked. Not that he had any intention of drinking it if they did.

“Big no on that one. Banned it when I was a freshman. Some asshats wanted to try some even though they were human, and ended up in the hospital for the better part of month. One of them almost lost a kidney.”

That would have made sense. Alcohol made with wolfsbane did not affect werewolves the same way in affected humans. At least, that’s what Derek had heard. For werewolves, it provided a sensation that was similar to being drunk. For humans, it could cause any number of things to happen. Derek didn’t know all of what they were, but he knew that none of them were pleasant.

“You’re not drinking?”

“Oh, believe me, I would love to. But being co-captain, and Vice-President of the dorm means I have to make sure that these idiots don’t do something entirely stupid. Speaking of which, excuse me big guy.”

Stiles darts past Derek. Clapping him on the shoulder as he moves by. The alpha feels a small, tingling sensation spread across his arm with the contact. Which made no sense. But at the same time did. Derek was attracted to Stiles. The oddness of it was not out of place, but it terrified him regardless.

He turns to see Stiles speaking with a group of young men. None of whom look very happy. Their posture is rigid, and entirely aggressive. Even more so when one of the flashes their eyes at Stiles. Werewolves. The gold of it sticks out like a sore thumb, and Derek is moving before he even realizes it.

He moves himself between Stiles and the three betas. Puffing out his chest. Eyes red as sin. All of them take a step back. Unwilling to confront now that they’ve been faced with an alpha. Derek lets out a low growl for good measure. Too low for Stiles to hear with all the music. But more than enough for the three of them to get the message.

“As I was saying, you can either hand over the bottle willingly. Or I can make your lives in the dorm a living hell for the rest of the semester.”

The three betas look towards each other. Then to Stiles. Then to Derek. After which, they promptly hand over the bottle. Retreating quickly. The sour stench of fear coming off of them in waves. Derek watches them go. Not satisfied until they’re out of sight. And away from Stiles.

The other man turns on his heel. Heading towards the sink in the corner. Dumping the contents of the bottle down the drain. Derek could smell the small tinge of wolfsbane. No sooner than Stiles mentioned the ban, than had someone tried to sneak it. Derek now understood the complications of the man’s position as Vice-President of the dorm. He didn’t have the luxury of overlooking things.

“Thanks for that big guy. Was actually worried there for a second.”

Stiles bumps his shoulder into the alpha’s. Laughing with a tinge of nervousness in his voice. He had stood up to three werewolves. On his own. Derek admired that kind of courage. Not that he thought any of them would have shifted. But even without fangs and claws, werewolves still packed one hell of a punch.

Stiles runs his hands through his hair. Making it messier than it already was. Leaning backwards, stretching out. Cracking his neck. Derek swallows the lump that had formed in his throat when he sees the man’s pulse. That little hammering in his jugular. He was leaning in before he really even realized what he was doing.

Stiles stills the moment Derek closes the space between them. Body going tense, and a sharp, spice flooding his scent. Derek knew it as arousal. The other man was turned on by Derek being this close to him. He felt his cock stir as the heat from Stiles’ skin could be felt this close. The desire to run his tongue across the man’s throat was overwhelming. He nearly did.

“Hey, big guy. You still with me?”

Stiles words snap him from his daze. Allowing Derek to back up, and put a respectable distance between them. He can feel a blush creeping along the back of his neck, and onto his cheeks. He hadn’t even really realized what he was doing before he was a mere inch away from the man. And it was an embarrassing realization.

“I’m…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You…We should talk about this later. And as much as I would like to move past that, I’ve smoked a shit load of weed, and right now, my dick wants to do all the talking.”

Derek swallowed again. Finding his throat dry and scratchy. Stiles leans in, and kisses him on the cheek. The alpha damn near falls over. And almost passes out entirely when the man nibbles on his ear ever so slightly. After which, he’s gone. That sly, lustrous smile splashed across his face. Waving as he leaves. He knows that Isaac will hate him when he gets back to the dorm. Because he’d be jerking off several times before he went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Derek learns that honesty is the best policy. And that Stiles, more than he could imagine, has some surprises left. Thanks for reading. And as always, much love.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feelings and teasing. Have fun.

Derek had already jogged around the campus several times before lunch. It was the one day of the week that he had no classes or lectures. So, rather than keeping himself locked in his room, he had opted to simply make himself busy. Which was a rather straightforward. He had grown up in the preserve. Exercise was part of his daily routine. So, being in college, that didn’t change.

What had changed, however, was the fact that Stiles was now a part of his existence. It had been two days since the party. And even though they hadn’t spoken yet, Derek had seen plenty of him around. He was the Vice-President of the dorm. So that meant he did daily patrols. The alpha enjoyed it, as it gave him an excuse to simply stare at the other man.

Isaac did not care for the lingering looks that Derek kept in the hallways. As it meant their room smelt of arousal for the next few hours. The beta was still mad about coming back from the party and smelling the fact that Derek’s happy time still lingered in the air. He had profusely apologized.

Even now, the alpha still thought about how he and Stiles had left each other. With the man nibbling on Derek’s ear before leaving. It was…enthralling. In a way that Derek hadn’t experienced before. The idea of more made his head spin. Not to say that he didn’t know what humans often liked to get up to behind closed doors. It’s just that he hadn’t ever really experienced it for himself. In any capacity.

He lingers and lingers in his thoughts. Wondering just what Stiles meant when they needed to talk. Derek got his answer late in the evening when there was a knock at his door. Stiles looked the same as he did last time. Disheveled and somehow buzzing. There was a wild energy to him. One that Derek didn’t entirely understand. He enjoyed it all the same.

The other man smiles brightly. Ear to ear. The corners of his eyes wrinkle with it. Derek loves that smile. Simple. Honest. There was a quality to it that he hadn’t found with other people. Thankfully, Isaac is not here to see him swoon. Or smell the low grade burning that started in his groin. Just being near Stiles made Derek’s heartrate go up. He still hadn’t figured out why.

“Can I come in, big guy?”

Derek steps aside, allowing Stiles into the room. He wastes no time in plopping himself down onto Derek’s bed. Making himself entirely too comfortable. The sight of it makes the alpha come a hair’s breath away from shifting. Now, Stiles’ scent would be all over his sheets. His pillow. He would be able to smell him for weeks.

“Come on in, and lay down sourwolf.”

Derek scowls at the use of the nickname. It was something oddly similar to what his sisters used to call him. He had what was referred to as a serial killer face. In that he always looked pissed off or grumpy. He hadn’t liked it then, and he didn’t like it now. That being said, there was a certain quality to it that Derek liked. Just because it came from Stiles.

The alpha lays down on the bed next to the other man. A good six inches between them. Derek can feel the heat coming off of Stiles. It sends a shiver through him. Being this lose to the man. They just lay there. Staring into each other’s eyes. Saying nothing. So close, but with an entire universe between them.

“So, I said we should talk. And here I am.”

“I….” Derek couldn’t even finish the sentence. The words he wanted escaped him.

Rather than try and speak, he simply leans forward. Pressing his lips to Stiles. He tasted like the sun. Bright and unrelenting. The man leans into it. Taking Derek’s chin in his hand. He could feel Stiles smile. The two of them are perfectly still apart from them kissing. It was the first time he had ever kissed anyone.

“Okay, so. I take it that you like that.”

“Don’t know. Never done it before.” Derek didn’t know why he was that honest. He just was.

“You can’t be serious, right? I mean, look at you. You look like you just walked off an Abercrombie set.”

The alpha felt a blush creep along his cheeks. Spreading onto his neck and chest. He felt too hot in his skin. It was stupid. How easily he got flustered around Stiles. How easily he got worked up. That being said, he didn’t exactly dislike it.

“Well…that was a surprise. But get the feeling that you’re not all about casual sex. So…”

“I’ve never dated. I don’t know what this entails.” Derek wanted to kiss Stiles again.

“Well, we can go get coffee. And maybe go back to my dorm room, and watch a movie. Maybe see how long we can keep our clothes on.” Stiles smiled slyly. That dirty smile. That smile that Derek didn’t have to read to between the lines.

He rolls himself atop of Stiles. Pressing himself down onto the man. Sliding their mouths back together. Tasting the salt that lingered in his lips. He loved every bit of it. Derek could feel his cock stir with interest.

“As much as I would like to continue, much like last time, I have to go. But, coffee tomorrow?”

“That sounds good. Around noon at the campus café?” Derek asked.

Stiles smiled again. Kissing Derek softly. Leaving after just a few more minutes. With Derek hard as a rock in his pants. And trying desperately to keep from touching himself. Isaac would have loads to say when he came back. Speaking, when the beta did return. His nose scrunched up in an obvious way. At the very least, Derek hadn’t jerked off. He couldn’t help being aroused though.

“Why was Stiles here?” Isaac doesn’t look at Derek as he collapses on his bed. Obviously tired from his classes.

“We’re…getting coffee.”

Isaac perked up at that. Eyes bright and wide with attention.

“No fucking way. You, of all people, are going on a date. And with Stiles of everyone you could have chosen.”

“I’m not that bad.” Derek said derisively.

“Dude, I literally had to drag you to a party. And yet, here you are, going on a date. I’m almost proud of you.”

Derek frowned at being the expense of the joke. But otherwise left Isaac’s comment alone. He chose to roll over in the bed. Savoring the lingering scent that Stiles had left behind. It was comforting in an odd sort of way. One that he himself did not fully understand. But his wolf was content with the idea of it. As well as confused. Stiles was…good. And Derek was still coming to terms with the fact that he was going on his first actual date.

He didn’t call Laura. He didn’t call Cora. He didn’t text them either. Derek already knew the reactions his sisters would have. And he did not want the hour long conversation that would come with it. Nor the numerous, relentless pestering that would come from their mother.

Within the pack, dating wasn’t a thing. Since they did not live as a part of human society, that was one large pool already cut off from them. They, of course, interacted with other packs. Held meetings and gathering, and on rare occasions, parties. Derek never really enjoyed them all that much. As an alpha male, one from the Hale family, he was often viewed as a prize. Their line was notorious from producing alphas with nearly every birth. So, it was an enticement for other packs to make a move. Or, at the very least, some suggestions.

The notion of it often made Derek uncomfortable. The idea that anyone was interested in him just because he was an alpha. It honestly made his skin crawl. He remembered getting lingering looks from people at their rare gatherings. Looks that held nothing to who he was as a person, and only what he could give them in terms of breeding.

The next morning, he finds himself oddly giddy. Not that he was prone to bad moods, or fits. But he was often a little more reserved. Classes seemed to go by quicker. And even with the thoughts of Stiles racing through his head, he had no trouble paying attention. By the time noon rolled around, he found himself damn near skipping to the campus café.

He orders a latte with extra cream, and a cinnamon bagel. Simple, but something that he had always enjoyed. Werewolves weren’t affected by caffeine, but he enjoyed the body of the coffee. The way it warmed him from the inside, and made him feel oddly content to just be. He was halfway through with it when Stiles sat down in front of him.

He was disheveled and sheened with sweat. Little beads of it forming on his forehead, and dripping down his face. A sharp, hot musk permeated his scent. One that sent a thrill through Derek’s wolf. Something virile and strong. It was a good, masculine scent.

“Honestly didn’t know if you were gonna show.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Derek asked.

“Let’s be honest, I’m a lot. And you’re a lot, in a good way. I’m also the Vice-President of the dorm. So I’m not exactly popular.”

Stiles wasn’t exactly wrong. People in positions of authority were rarely well liked. And even though he seemed lenient for his position, he did stick to the rules when it mattered. Which, given that it was a bunch of men crammed into a small space, sticking to the rules came about more often than not. So, there would always be people that disliked him. Derek wasn’t one of them.

Stiles orders a coffee. Something sweet and sugary. Very much like him. He almost burns his tongue in his impatience to wait for it to cool off. Derek laughed and took another sip of his own coffee. There was a manic vibe to Stiles. A way that he was that always seemed like he could never really be still, or quiet. Derek loved it.

“So, what brings you to Beacon Hills University?”

“I was home schooled my entire life. Online classes and private tutors. I wanted more.” Derek still remembered the night he told his family he was leaving for college.

“Wow, that must have been an experience. What’s your major?”

“Don’t know yet. Just taking what I find interesting for right now. I can always figure the rest out later.” Derek said.

He wasn’t exactly sure of what he wanted to do with his future. The careers in his family varied. His father was a lawyer. His mother was an interior designer. Laura was on her way to being a certified accountant. Peter was a business man, and brought in half of their house’s revenue on his own. Derek had never shown any desire for what any of his family did. He hadn’t really thought about what he wanted to do. Only that he wanted to do something different than what he had been doing.

Stiles was majoring in forensics. His father was a cop, the sheriff of Beacon Hills in fact. Law enforcement ran in their family. He never saw himself becoming a cop. Namely because he didn’t like the idea of it, and guns weren’t exactly something that he was entirely comfortable with. He was good at sorting through information. Able to see and pick up on things that others might have missed.

Derek listened intently as Stiles spoke at length about himself. He was on the lacrosse team, though by his own admission, he wasn’t exactly a star player. He mostly went ahead with it because it gave him something to do. To occupy his time, and keep him focused on the things he needed to focus on.

“So, is your whole family werewolves?”

“Yes. Been that way for several generations. It just runs strongly in the family.” Derek’s coffee was gone.

“My best friend’s a werewolf. An alpha. He was kinda awkward in high school. There were only a handful of you guys, and they all felt very out of place.”

That made sense. Werewolves were outmatched by the human population in most cities. By a rather a large margin at that. In certain cities, shifters weren’t even allowed to attend public schools. Couldn’t run for any public offices. And could not work in law enforcement. Things that proved the world was still afraid of them. Attending a school that allowed werewolves was rare enough. But most parents would have never allowed it if they could help it.

“My parents flipped when I said I was going to college here. They had a line of private tutors at the ready. As well as an all shifter university. I said no.”

“Ha! Werewolf moms aren’t a joke then. My dad was irked at the exact opposite. He wanted to get out of Beacon Hills. See the world a little. Broaden my horizons.”

“Why didn’t you?” Derek asked.

As someone who spent most of his life restricted, the alpha couldn’t understand why someone would intentionally not go out and spread their wings. Granted, it terrified the hell out of him when he even considered it. Stiles, not having those same kind of restrictions, would have had far more opportunities than Derek. Hell, the only reason his parents went along with his choice was because of his threat of emancipation, and that it was in Beacon Hills.

“It’s just him and me. My mom’s gone….I didn’t want to go halfway across the country and leave him by himself.”

That…That Derek understood. Pack was everything. And even though he was only half an hour away from them, he still felt that pang in his chest. Felt that there was a piece of his missing. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel if he was thousands of miles away. Where he could only call or text them. Maybe video chat.

“My pack didn’t like the idea of me leaving for a human college. They don’t….”

“Not fond of the human folk, huh. I get it. People are assholes. Humans especially.” There wasn’t any malice or anger in Stiles’ voice. Only a blunt honesty.

Derek was surprised to see that Stiles was not only honest, but understanding. There was a quality to it that he hadn’t expected. Thankfully, his roommate had been a werewolf. Isaac had his issues, but he was good. Even still, most of his classmates, and all of his professors were human. Stiles, among all of them defied the standards and expectations that Derek had before coming here.

“So, I guess the next question is, where do we go from here?”

“What do you mean?” There was a tremor in Derek’s voice.

“What I mean is, what do you want from this? We both find each other attractive. We both find each other interesting. So, do you wanna be friends? Friends with benefits? Boyfriends?”

Derek blushed at the idea of all three of them. Friends, because he’d never had a human friend before. The benefits part…that was obvious enough. Boyfriends…He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant or entailed by human standards. He’d never had a relationship to begin with. So terms weren’t all that important. Rather, it’s what tended to come with them.

“Boyfriends…Boyfriends is good. I think.”

“You’re cute when you blush. And as much as I’d like to see what else I can do to make you blush, I get the feeling you aren’t a ‘first date’ kinda guy.” Stiles smiled in that way that made Derek wonder what was really going through his head.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“It means, sourwolf, contrary to what people say about me, and how flirtatious I can be, we can wait to have sex if you want.”

Derek felt his face go even hotter, and the blush he had creep onto his chest. He could feel sweat bead at the back his neck, and his heart leap into his throat. Part of him was terrified, the other, the more primal, base side of him, was entirely intrigued.

“I think that’s a good idea. At least, for now.”

Stiles didn’t answer. Instead, he simply leaned forward. Placing his form over the table. Kissing Derek in a soft, gentle way that somehow, once again, made his blush deepen. The alpha felt his heart damn near hammer out of his chest.

When the other man pulls away, he could see that Stiles’ cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink. At the very least, Derek wasn’t alone in the whole blushing thing. That, he could take with him. Stiles leaves with a smile, and a promise that they could set up their next date soon.

On his way back to the dorm, Derek feels as if the world isn’t really there. Things seem small and out of focus. As if things weren’t actually real. But in a rather good way. Back in the dorm, he fell onto his bed. Staring up at the ceiling. Unaware of what the hell just happened, and aware of it all in the same moment. He couldn’t stop smiling.

“What the hell’s got you so damn giddy?”

He hadn’t even realized that Isaac was there. That’s how out of focus he was. As a born wolf, he was usually attuned to scents. Even though he had become familiar with the beta’s, it still surprised Derek. But no more than anything else that had happened today.

“I have a boyfriend.”

“No goddamn way. There’s no way you hooked up before I did.” Isaac was raising his voice. But Derek didn’t hear anything.

The alpha let his mind relax, and the last traces of his blush dissipate from his face. He still felt warm and tingly all over. But not so much so that it was overwhelming. The sound of Isaac’s voice seemed to fade into the background. The walls becoming a blur. Sleep found him without him really meaning it to. Derek welcomed it all the same. His dreams were of things that had yet to happen, but of all the things that he hoped would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was entertaining. Next chapter, Derek learns more about his roommate, and more about Stiles for that matter. Thanks for reading. And as always, much love.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, fluff, and graphic description of a nightmare scenario. Read at your own caution.

It had been a week since Derek and Stiles had confirmed their relationship. Truthfully, it wasn’t all that Derek had expected. And, in the same moment, it was. He and Stiles shared no classes. And had different off days. But that didn’t meant that they didn’t see each other. More so than anything, Isaac grew annoyed with how much of Stiles’ scent was in the room as of late.

What few hours of the day they could spend together were good. They did absolutely nothing. For the most part, they just watched movies. Huddled together in Derek’s bed, or in Stiles. Giving the small, meaningful details of their day. It was simple and good and perfect. He hadn’t expected Stiles to be as…physical as he was.

As a werewolf, Derek had a certain expectation of touch and contact. It was an important part of being in a pack. It solidified relationships, and established hierarchy. As an alpha, and a male alpha at that, Derek was in the higher parts of his pack. Not that he held any true authority or standing. But the others in his pack deferred to him. It was a complex, intricate network.

Stiles was human, and did not feel or act as wolves did. It was not as complicated as a werewolf pack. Not that human relationships were any easier, or less complex. Touch, even more so. Werewolves used touch much like humans did. At least, in terms of affection. Where hierarchy was…there didn’t seem to be too much of that.

One of the first nights they spent, huddled in bed, Stiles had touched Derek’s neck. Any reasonable person, werewolf or human, knew what that meant. Superiority. It was a sign that the one being touched was to offer submission. As an alpha, Derek never gave his neck to anyone. For any reason. Not even his mother. But with Stiles…it was different.

It was not done in a manner that demanded submission, or flouted authority. If Derek had to give it words, the gesture was done as a manner of appreciation. Stiles seemed to be enamored with his neck. The curves of his throat. The thrumming of his pulse. The taste of the salt that had collected on his skin.

Derek hadn’t felt hurt or betrayed or even offended. He felt…flustered. That blush that only Stiles could bring out spread across his face. Going down to his chest. He could feel his heart leap into his chest, and the center of his stomach turn over. That warm, consuming feeling fanned over his skin. Making him too hot for his skin. Derek was more than happy to let Stiles do as he pleased. There wasn’t any issue with that.

Sometimes, when Stiles was more daring, he would slip a hand under Derek’s shirt. Feeling, softly feeling, the expanse of his torso. And if he was lucky, the other man would run a thumb over one of his nipples. That…That sent a shiver through him. In the best goddamn way possible.

Stiles also had a keen sense of what Derek’s limit was. What he could do, and what he could get away with. How far he could go before Derek recoiled. The alpha enjoyed Stiles’ hands on him. Those long, slender fingers working clever magic over his skin. But he didn’t have the courage to tell his boyfriend that he wasn’t as experienced as he looked.

It never came up in conversation, and Stiles never asked. Never pushed. Never demanded. He only touched Derek when Derek allowed it. And even though he allowed it quite a lot, he was worried when the day would come when they did more than just touch.

Isaac was, for the most part, entirely fed up with them. Stiles, somehow, always timed his visits when Derek was alone. With the room to himself. Even still, the room reeked to high heaven of arousal and alpha pheromones by the time Stiles left. Isaac was ready to scream. And they hadn’t even actually had sex yet.

It was an odd thing. Something that he had yet to tell his pack about. Something that he didn’t tell them about. They were private, yes. But they still shared things of that level. Someone being in a relationship was a big deal. It meant a possible future. Derek had never seen any of his pack date idly. Even Peter, their resident whoremonger, had at least some level of commitment.

The problem wasn’t so much that Derek was dating. It wasn’t that he was dating another man. The problem, as he already knew, lay in the fact that he was dating a human. It wouldn’t have made any difference whether it was a man or a woman. In their pack, they dated werewolves, or other shifters. The idea that any one of them, Derek especially, would date a human…He imagined the reaction would be worse when he said that he was going to be attending a human college.

So, he kept it to himself. Derek had no one intention of telling any member of his family that he was dating anyone. Let alone a human. Stiles didn’t seem all that interested in telling anyone about their relationship. They were dating. They were spending time together. Beyond that, anything else, anyone’s opinions didn’t matter in the slightest.

Things were going good. Derek was doing well in his classes. He had a (somewhat) reasonable roommate. He was having more fun than he ever expected. Until he wasn’t. It happened one night, when he was dead asleep. Then, the world came crashing in. the world he was dreaming of broke into pieces. Shattered everywhere. Derek awoke to the sound of endless drums, and the rank, sour stench of fear.

Isaac was thrashing in the bed. Clawing at whatever demons his nightmares had summoned to torment him. Derek was over to his side of the room in a flash. Grasping the beta’s hands in his own. Holding him. Trying to keep him from hurting himself. He was rewarded with several lacerations across his arms and chest for his efforts.

Isaac’s eyes flew open. The most ungodly shade of beta gold that Derek had ever seen. They were not eyes that were seeing what was in front of them. Whatever they were seeing was not here, or there. It was of some horrible place of fear. Of anger. Of confusion. Somewhere Derek could not reach.

Isaac moved to attack. And Derek, responding on instinct, flashed his eyes. Growling loudly. Not roaring. But growling loud enough that the beta, even terrified and locked into a nightmare, was able to get the message. It had the desired effect nearly instantly.

The beta retreated. Crumbling into a ball. Shivering in the corner of the bed against the wall. Derek stood there. Shocked and dumbfounded. Covered in bloody wounds that were already healing. He couldn’t even feel the pain of it. Only the hammering of his heart, and the smell of Isaac’s fear. Only, now he was afraid for an entirely different reason.

Derek doesn’t say anything. All he does is climb into bed with Isaac. Wrapping his arms around the beta. Holding him close. Keeping him still and in place as the shaking and tears subside. Isaac doesn’t resist. And the alpha just purrs low in his throat. Something that his mother used to do when he was a pup. Having shaky control, and needing his mother, his alpha, to comfort him.

It doesn’t take long, and gradually, Isaac stops shaking. Body stilling completely. Falling into a deep, unmoving sleep. Rather, after the nightmare, and subsequent outlast, he didn’t have the energy to stay awake. Derek did not need to ask what gave him such horrible aspirations. It didn’t matter. They were not friends. They were not pack. But he would not sit idly, and let someone be tormented.

They stay like that until the morning. Isaac is the first awake. Squirming underneath of Derek’s grip. The alpha, however reluctantly, lets the young man go. Letting him traipse off towards the bathroom. Ready to start the day. And to, quite possibly, wash Derek’s scent off of him. That would have made sense.

A beta caring an alpha’s scent, however casually, usually meant a limited number of things. Most often, marking of pack. Derek had no intention of claiming ownership or authority of Isaac. That was an entirely different conversation. Beyond what they already needed to have about his nightmares. The second, was for mating purposes. Which, also nil, given that Derek was with Stiles. He only hoped that he hadn’t overstepped and offended Isaac in some way.

When the beta returns after such a short amount of time, Derek is honestly surprised. Even more so by the fact that his scent was still on the other man. It was faint. But underneath the tang of his own musk, and body soap, Derek could still find traces of himself on Isaac. He hadn’t washed himself that thoroughly.

The surprises continue when Isaac comes and sits down next to Derek. Placing his head on the alpha’s shoulder, and just resting. The stillness of it disturbs him. How terrified Isaac still is. Of what the nightmare consumed him with. Derek just let the other wolf do as he pleased. He saw no real harm in it. He was hurting, and that was something that Derek could help with. However small it may have been.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology had no place in their moment. Isaac had a nightmare. One bad enough to send him into a fit, and cause him to lose control. Derek wouldn’t ever hold that against him. But he did worry. He worried that this was only a temporary measure against whatever was plaguing the beta. Comfort shared between wolves could only do so much. He could calm Isaac down. But he could not prevent the nightmares from coming back.

They stay like that for the better part of an hour. After which, they both had to get ready for their classes. Neither one of them speak, or do anything other than get their things ready for the day. Derek did not hold it against Isaac. They could always talk later. It was important, but not so much that the alpha would pressure the other wolf. He would talk when he was good and ready.

For the most part, Derek goes to his classes without issue. Even with the disturbing events in the night, he found himself able to focus, and get his work down. Diligently taking notes as he always did. By the time his first break between classes came around, his stomach was rumbling and he was ready to eat something.

Thankfully, the café wasn’t all that busy. And he was able to get in and out in no time at all. Ignoring the general clatter of the people around, he sat down to enjoy a late breakfast. He had just started on his eggs when someone plopped down in front of him.

Erica was as put together as she ever was. The young omega was flawless and regal. There was also that wild edge to her energy that Derek sometimes found odd. Not entirely unwelcome, just not something he was every really used to. She always managed to surprise him. In the best way that he didn’t know that he needed. Today, it was more welcome than he had expected.

“A little birdie told me that our hero alpha has a boyfriend.” Erica smiled like the devil.

“And what, pray tell, little birdie was that?” Derek hadn’t had that much experience with gossip. But he could already tell that he didn’t like it.

“Oh, sweetie. Stiles is Vice-President of the boy’s dorm, and a member of the lacrosse team. He’s popular enough, and people like to talk. Never took him for a wolfie though.”

“The hell is a wolfie?” Derek asked dejectedly.

“It means someone who’s into wolves. A lot of the times, specifically, someone who’s into alphas.”

Erica’s words sent a shudder down his spine. Derek hadn’t given all that much thought to why Stiles was attracted to him. He knew what he looked like. As far as conventions went, he was what people called ‘classically handsome’. But he never figured that Stiles was solely into him because of the fact that he was a werewolf. And an alpha at that.

The thought of it made his stomach turn. And his heart sink into a rather uncomfortable depth. He didn’t have time to think about it all that much. One second, he was contemplating every choice he’d made since coming to college. The next, someone was draped over his shoulders. Kissing along his pulse point in the most shameless way possible.

Stiles’ earthy, rich scent filled his nose. Even though he was having an existential crisis about the man, the presence of him was a comfort. Even with the oddness of it. The notion that Derek had been contemplating seemed to vanish. Allowing him to fully appreciate the rightness of the other man’s presence. It still terrified him how comfortable he was around him.

“I can see that Erica has good taste. But this one’s off the market.”

“I don’t poach people’s prey, Stilinski. Besides, I have my own man that I’m working on.” Erica smiled even wider. And Stiles kissed his neck again.

Derek turned his head ever so slightly to give the man better access. Taking note the action, Stiles pressed in further. Obscenely running his tongue over the alpha’s pulse point. Derek shuddered. Full body. He could feel his cock stir with interest.

He turns his head. Meeting the other man’s mouth. Kissing him softly. Sweetly. He tasted like spring. Unmoving, and full of possibility. When they part, they’re still close enough to breathe in one another’s space. Derek is entirely comfortable with that fact. Stiles seemed to be the same.

“Hi.” Derek’s voice trembled. But in a good way. A way that betrayed his otherwise calm demeanor. Given truth to his excitement.

“Hi yourself, big guy.”

Stiles smiled and kissed him again. Derek wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about public displays of affections. When he was out with the pack, he didn’t really engage in anything like that. He just walked alongside who he was with. Doing his absolute best at pretending to be human.

“The both of you are intolerably nauseating.”

“I’m sorry that I have a man, and you don’t. But that is what? The opposite of my problem.” Stiles sneered at Erica. Much like a child would.

“So who is this mystery man you spoke about?” Derek asked.

Truthfully, he didn’t actually care all that much about Erica’s love life. But he also wanted to steer the conversation away from him and Stiles. The fact that she had called the latter a ‘wolfie’ still unnerved him to a point. And he didn’t want to think about it.

“He’s with the architecture department. Tall, dark, and handsome. His name’s Boyd. And, dear god…Like a tree, honey. Like a tree.”

“Go get em tiger.” Stiles smiled.

Erica gives them both a flirtatious goodbye. One that sends of ping of jealously through Derek. Deep down, he knew that she would never, under any circumstances, pursue Stiles. And that Stiles, under no circumstances, pursue her. They weren’t that type. Even still…

That term that Erica had used. ‘Wolfie’. It left Derek with a sour taste in his mouth. The idea, however small and improbable, that Stiles was applicable to it…It unsettled him. He had heard of humans with the type. Ran across it in the later nights on his phone during his ‘private’ time. But he hadn’t expected to get a boyfriend when coming to college. He also hadn’t expected to ever think that boyfriend was with him for a very specific, and not so great reason.

“Whatcha thinking about, big guy?”

“What makes you believe I’m thinking about anything?” Derek asked in an innocent tone.

Stiles crawled up into his lap. Putting his full weight onto Derek’s legs. Wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck.

“Your eyebrows say what your mouth doesn’t. When they pinch like that, you’re thinking about something.”

Derek felt a blush creeping up his neck, and onto his face. Stiles smiled and kissed him again. Quick and sweet.

“You…you know I’m a werewolf, and…an alpha right?”

“Well, yeah. Kinda learned that at the clinic.” Stiles tilted his head to the side. Like a confused kitten.

“And is that why you….got with me?”

Stiles shrunk back, ever so slightly. Like he had been shocked. It was a small, but very obvious recoil. The man’s scent turned bitter and acrid with anger. Nothing overpowering. But it was very clear that he was upset. Whether or not it was directed at him remained to be seen.

“I don’t know where you got that idea, but I didn’t get with you so I could fuck a werewolf. I got with you because you’re cute. And smart. And well, kina of adorable actually.”

“Okay. I just heard…that term…”

“Wolfie? God that shit is rank. People are such assholes for saying crap like that. I’m sorry that you thought that way. But I promise, I’m not in it just to jump your bones. Though, admittedly, that would be nice.”

Stiles’ voice took on that dark, dusky tone. The one that made Derek shiver from the top of his head to the ends of his toes. He felt his wolf purr with interest as Stiles kissed him again. Slow. Deliberate. Nipping at his bottom lip as he moved back just a fraction of an inch. Even in public, the man was shameless.

“Uh, Derek. Any clue who the chick glaring daggers at us is?”

The alpha was confused for a moment. Then, he turned to the direction that Stiles was looking. He then felt his heart drop into his ass. Standing at the very start of the dining area, was Cora. Eyes a glaring red. Nostrils flared. Beside her, Peter. Smiling like the cat that got the canary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a way to end a chapter. Next, Derek learns that he has more of a backbone than he thought. And that Stiles is more than just wit and broad shoulders.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst. Drama. Feels! This chapter is sort of important, but it's mostly an excuse to write about boys and their feelings.

“That’s my sister.”

Derek knew, logically, at some point, someone from the pack would come and see him. They had barely, BARELY let him leave for college. To let him make his own choices to live and learn away from them. And even then, it was only after a set of heavy, unyielding threats. Wherein his mother and the others relented, and allowed him to move forward.

The fact that someone from the pack was here was not what disturbed him. What disturbed him, what made his heart drop, was that it was Cora. Out of all the pack, she was the most untrusting of humans. When they were younger, barely through with being pups, she had a rather nasty experience. Called every foul name in the book.

It was one of the only times in their lives that the humans in town had actively hated them. Cora cried for hours. Their mother didn’t let them leave the house for nearly a week. It had left a lasting, terrible impression on his sister. For a brief, horrible moment, she had seen the darker, nastier side that humans held.

The other part that confused him, was why Peter was here. Of all their pack that could have come, he was the last one that Derek had expected. Given that most of them found him to be entirely, and completely intolerable. As his uncle often amused himself at the expense of others. Which was why he was smiling now. Because he had caught Derek with someone straddling his lap.

“You don’t exactly sound enthused about her presence.”

“She can be…difficult.” Derek said while avoiding Stiles’ eyes.

“As in to manage? Because she’s coming this way, dude.”

Derek felt his heart leap back up, and nearly leap out of his throat. Stiles removes himself from the alpha’s lap. Sitting himself down on the table. Letting the wolf stand and turn around. Cora was already in front of him by the time he was upright. She smelled bitter. That acrid tinge that let Derek know how deeply, and utterly pissed she was.

“Hi, Cora.”

“Don’t you dare ‘hi’ me.” Cora’s voice was more a growl than anything. She was pissed.

“Fancy seeing you here. What brings you by?” Derek asked.

“Pack was worried. I was worried. Seemed like I had good reason to be.”

There was a certain kind of anger that coursed through the alpha. He had known that his pack, that his family would worry over him. The world of humans was something that they had been taught to fear their entire lives. Without exception. He had been raised to always be aware and alert. That he was to never fully trust humans.

They were mistrusting. Hateful. Ignorant. His mother used all manner of words when talking about them. Having her only son attend a college that was nearly all humans…Derek knew why they afraid. Why they worried. But Cora’s implication…he didn’t care for it at all. That he was being…used. Or that he was incapable of choosing someone to be with.

“I’m fine, Cora.”

“There’s a scrawny little human that was just straddling your lap. Care to explain that?” Her question was fierce, and her eyes, even fiercer.

“He’s my…my boyfriend.”

Cora recoiled like he had been struck. Like Derek had said the worst, most offensive thing possible. Peter smiled even wider. Stiles held onto Derek’s hand. Squeezing tightly, and with no intention of letting go. The alpha appreciated it.

“Since when the hell…” Cora’s words and her advance were cut off. By the person that Derek had hoped would stay quiet.

“Excuse me.”

Stiles had taken several steps forward. Ahead of Derek looking at Cora. Eye to eye. In any other circumstance, that would have been a challenge. Had the man been a wolf. But he wasn’t. He was a human. A very fragile, breakable, squishy human. Derek worried that this could go wrong, very quickly.

“I’m not talking to you.”

“But I am, to you. Cora was it? I’d like you to leave now.”

“And who the fuck do you think you are?” Cora’s voice raised. Attracting the attention of several people nearby.

“Stiles, Vice-President of the boy’s dorm. As a staff member, I have the authority to ask any non-student to leave at any time, for any reason. You, since walking up, have been nothing but hostile. You can either leave of you own volition, or I can call security. Followed by the police. Your choice.”

Cora was a fraction, a hair away from losing it. She did not, in any way, care for humans. Even less when they gave her orders. But Stiles wasn’t wrong. As a member of the staff, he could call security for any reason. And Derek knew that he would. He was worried that he would. Until Derek put his hand on Cora’s shoulder. Pulling her back from Derek, and from her anger.

“Pardon my niece, sir. She can be…excitable. And certainly, given that the position she found yourself and my nephew.” Peter’s voice was a soft as silk, and as charming as the devil.

“Regardless of our position, _sir_ , it was consensual. And your niece has no say in the matter. I, on the other hand, have a say in whether or not she’s evicted from the campus.”

There was a certain tone of authority in Stiles’ voice. It was rather out of place, given his normal, causal demeanor. Derek didn’t think that one could be a popular Vice-President if they just lorded their authority over everyone. He, for the most part, was rather easy going. Now, that was the furthest thing from the truth. And, if the alpha was perfectly honest about it, he found it to be rather attractive.

“Perhaps we could move this to a more private location? My nephew’s room perhaps?”

Derek looked towards Stiles. Then towards Peter. Then towards Cora. Then back to Stiles. He could feel his heart leap into his throat.

“Normally, we don’t allow girls in the boy’s dormitory. However, given that Cora is family, I can make an exception. Provided that you understand that, if any of her behavior, for whatever reason, violates the peace and safety of the dorm…”

“The police will be promptly called. We understand.” Peter smiled _that_ smile. The one he wore when he wanted to be charming. Stiles wasn’t falling for it at all.

The alpha turns towards the other man, and is met with a kiss. Stiles squeezes their hands together once more before leaving. Firmly informing Peter and Cora that they had one hour, and then they had to leave. There were no objections. Derek didn’t think that either of them, no matter how shocked and angry, wanted to see just how serious Stiles could get.

They don’t bother wasting any time, and head straight towards the dorm rooms. No one really pays them any mind. Especially given that Cora, despite being a woman, was an alpha. Generally speaking, any shifter knew not to encroach on an alpha. As it could end very badly, very quickly. Even the humans steered clear of her as they walked the halls. Namely, because she was still radiating anger. It burned Derek’s nose.

By the grace of whatever gods were paying attention, Isaac was not in the room when they arrived. Derek barely had any time to close the door before Cora’s arms were wrapped around him. Pressing herself close to him. Unwilling to move, or to let go. Even with how inappropriate she was earlier, Derek felt himself melt into it.

The feel of pack. The smell of it. The embrace of his baby sister. He had missed them more than he thought. It was surprising, and not in the same moment. As much as he had wanted independence. As much as he wanted to get out and see the world. There was nothing that could replace the feeling of pack. Their warmth. Their scent. Their everything.

“I’m still mad at you.”

Cora’s voice was softer now. It had lost its edge. That vital, damning tone that let the world know. Her fury eased away, and she held Derek like he might vanish into thin air. He pulled her closer. He kept her closer. Because, somewhere, deep down, he knew. He knew that she had missed her as much as he had missed her.

“I have a boyfriend. I’m not gonna apologize about that.”

“It’s not that you have a boyfriend, or even that he’s human. It’s that you didn’t even fucking bother to tell me, asshole.” Cora’s eyes started to water.

His sister’s scent turned sour with sadness. Derek couldn’t hold her any tighter. He understood. He understood more than she could know. They were pack. They were family. Even with his desire of independence, they told each other everything. They didn’t keep secrets. So, he understood. But Cora didn’t.

It was difficult to know his reasons for going to college. A human college. When he could have the best private tutors. Or the top choice of a private shifter university. Anywhere that could have given him what he had now. But it wouldn’t have been what he wanted. Which was to experience the world that he had been sheltered from. The world he had been denied.

“I’m sorry. But even if I did tell you, and be honest, would you have reacted any better?” Derek asked.

Cora turned her face away from his chin. Towards the wall. A low, unsatisfied growl emanating from her throat. It was the sound she made when she knew she was wrong. Derek never got tired of hearing it.

“I mean…He’s human. Why a human? Weren’t there any good looking shifters in any of your classes?” She asked, sounding distraught.

“I don’t really think that his species matters, Cora. We…we like each other. And I think that’s enough.”

“Wait until your mother hears. Then we’ll see how much his species doesn’t matter, dear nephew.”

Derek felt his heart drop. Cora was bad enough. His mother was likely to come and try to drag him home. No one in the last three generations had a human mate. They were either a werewolf, or some other manner of shifter. Absolutely no humans. They were barely allowed to be around them in town. Marrying one…having children with one…that wasn’t going to go over well at all.

“Oh, don’t look like that, dearest nephew. I’ll keep the worst of it at bay. Well, for as long as I can anyway. After that…”

Derek didn’t even want to imagine what his mother would be like when she heard the news. It would have been a wasted effort to tell them to keep it a secret. Neither Peter or Cora would ever do it. That, and if they, for some reason did, the fallout would have only been that much worse. As it stood, things were already going to be bad enough.

With most of the tension now gone, and Cora’s temper curved, they just sit and chat. There were plenty of questions about Stiles. Derek answered none of them. That was none of their business as a start. That, and if they wanted to ask them, they could talk to Stiles themselves. Albeit in a much calmer, or polite manner.

He doesn’t keep track of how long they talk. Or really pay attention to what they talk about. He’s just happy to see his pack. His family. He didn’t always get along with Peter or Cora. They were brash, and, at times, unbearable. For very different reasons. But they were still his pack. And he was happy to have them.

Things were going better. Things were relaxed. Until they weren’t. The door opened, interrupting their conversation. Derek had lost track of time, and forgotten the last of Isaac’s classes over. And that he was due to come back to the dorm. Which, in of itself, wasn’t a bad thing. What happened next, wasn’t exactly bad, but it certainly was unexpected.

Isaac was not an aggressive, or disrespectful wolf. So when he flashed his eyes at Peter and Cora, Derek was surprised. As well as worried. At the very least, he was at first. But there was something different about the display. More so, that Cora was returning it.

The both of them were flashing their eyes. But it was a soft color. Non-threatening. Almost…gentle. Then, the scent hit him. Attraction. They were attracted to each other. Which was just a fuck all on top of everything else that had happened today.

“I…” Isaac’s voice cut off and cracked to the edges

“Isaac, this is my uncle Peter, and my sister Cora. Guys, this is my roommate, Isaac.”

None of them say anything. Predictably, and to no one’s surprise, Peter was smiling from ear to ear. His habit at taking amusement at other people’s expense hadn’t waned at all. Derek had to resist the urge to smack him round the head. His uncle did always have the worst sense of timing. Especially when it came to indulging in his amusements.

“Well, dearest niece, I think we’ve taken enough of your bother’s time, yes?”

Cora didn’t say anything. She simple stormed out of the room without saying goodbye. Or paying any further attention to Isaac. Derek was rather remarked at the speed of her retreat. Peter simply clapped him on the shoulder. Bidding a silent goodbye, and an unspoken promise. A promise to make sure that his mother did not completely lose her mind.

Once they had left, Isaac still hadn’t moved. He was still flashing his eyes, but his posture had relaxed ever so slightly. He was still wrought with tension. But no longer so on edge that it looked like he just might snap at any given moment. Derek tapped him on the shoulder. Breaking him out of whatever stupor he had fallen into.

“So, my sister, huh?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…I don’t…” Isaac’s voice broke into pieces as his scent flooded with the sour stench of fear.

“Not a problem, for me at least. The rest of my family…Well, you’ll see soon enough.”

Derek had no doubt that Cora wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about it. At all. She was never very good lying, and Peter…Peter would have told everyone for the value of telling them. That was the kind of man that he was. Derek almost pitied his poor mother. Her only son was dating a human. And Cora may have just found a mate from a random wolf attending the same college. There was sure to be some manner of a fallout. The alpha wondered if Peter could handle it all. His mother could be…unreasonable.

“So you really don’t have a problem with me and your sister? Like at all?”

“I mean…If you do anything to hurt her, Cora will be more than happy to remove several of your appendages. You won’t have to worry about me at all.” Derek smiled as Isaac’s face lost all of its color.

There were several things that only happened with werewolves. Scent attraction was one of them. It generally signified a good, compatible match. Some people called it ‘mates’. In the truest sense of the word. Derek didn’t believe it. At all. Just because someone smelled good didn’t mean that they were meant for you.

Sure, if Cora could get her head out of her ass, she and Isaac could explore that attraction. But just because that initial, instinctual response was there, didn’t mean anything beyond their own freewill. He hoped that they could find something. His baby sister deserved someone who could make her happy.

They don’t talk about it any further than they already have. Derek could tell that Isaac was reeling. That he was not prepared, in any way, to deal with the events that had just transpired. So, the alpha leaves him to his business. And gives the beta the space he needs.

Not much longer after they had settled into their beds, there was a knock at the door. Stiles’ eyes were sunken, and exhausted looking. There was a tinge of acridness that Derek recognized as irritation. He was upset, however small, about something. He didn’t have to be a genius to figure out as to what.

The man collapses atop the alpha in an ungraceful heap. Snuggling himself into Derek’s chest. Content to never move again. He could feel his face go hot as it turned what he imagined to be beet red. Isaac scoffed in derision. And Stiles, in response, gave him the finger without ever looking towards the beta.

“Hard day?”

“Your sister’s loveliness attracted some unwanted attention. As the person who permitted her into the boy’s dorm, I had to make several phone calls. Responsibilities suck.”

Stiles’ voice was muffled as he spoke into Derek’s chest. He liked the feeling the vibrations that spread across his skin. It was comforting in a way. A sense of peace and calm that was unfamiliar, yet entirely wholesome. Derek was astounded by it. By the sheer ease of it. The process in which Stiles fit and connected. At a level that he had yet to experience.

“I’ll make it up to you later?” Derek stroked Stiles’ hair as he spoke.

“Later being the operative word. Now, sleep.”

Isaac buried himself into a book. Paying neither of them any mind. Derek just settled himself down into the bed further. Drawing Stiles towards him. Trying to find some way of having a one-hundred sixty pound human lay on him comfortably. It was a work in progress. He still managed to get some manner of sleep. The soft, drawing sound of his boyfriend’s breathing was the perfect lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fun. Next chapter, Derek attends a sports event. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.
> 
> PS- I work 12 hour shifts, so the updates are pretty sporadic. Sorry in advance.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff, and a whole lot of smut. Have fun ya'll.

It had been a week since Cora and Peter’s unexpected visit. Derek was still, to an extent, reeling from the entirety of it. Not even the morning after, his phone started to explode with calls and messages. Most of them, predictably, were from his mother. He listened to her ramble and rant and scream on the phone for well over three hours.

For the most part, he held the device away from his ear. Focusing on his school work while she went off. Entirely content to ignore her while she seemed to lose her mind. As promised, Peter curved the worst of it. And prevented her from marching up to the school. Which, in hindsight, wasn’t going to last very long.

His uncle may have been irredeemable half of the time. But the one quality Derek appreciated was his talent for curving the worst traits in their family. As the only Hale omega, he was rather calming. When he wasn’t being entirely irritating. Regardless, he expected that he’d be getting another unexpected visit rather soon.

The other part of his life that was both complicated, as well as entertaining, was Isaac. It had taken the beta a full two days to ask for Cora’s number. Another three before he actually texted her. Surprisingly, the young woman was amicable towards being contacted.

Isaac spent most of his free time texting or calling Cora. They talked about idle, simple things. Derek, for the sake of privacy, tired not to listen in. He was raised to tune out background noise, and he had no desire to spy on his roommate’s conversations with his sister.

All in all, things had calmed down form where they were. At least, where his family was concerned. Where Stiles was concerned…things were…heating up. The young man had been increasingly shameless as of late. Derek had been home schooled his entire life. And had never been in a relationship, or even dated. So, he wasn’t exactly used to public displays of affection.

Not that he didn’t enjoy it, or felt uncomfortable. But the fact that Stiles touched and kissed him in public was…new. Something that both gave him pause, and a singular, primal pleasure. When they were in private, his hands were even more explorative. But never went beyond what the alpha was comfortable with.

Stiles always seemed to know when to stop. And when to continue. Derek never had to tell him either. It was a keen, sharp intuition. One that the alpha greatly appreciated. What else he appreciated, was the fact that Stiles had decided to let him into more of his life.

The lacrosse season had already started. But Stiles had yet to invite him to a game. Truthfully, Derek had little, if no interest in sports. He certainly didn’t know anything about lacrosse. Even still, the fact that Stiles had invited him was more than enough. The actual day of the game, the alpha felt his nerves bundle and fry.

Thankfully, Erica, having heard of the invitation, decided to be his guide in the stands. She dragged him, (literally dragged), to a rather high place in the stadium. Seating them down to large, dark skinned young man. Vernon Boyd was a quiet, respectful young beta. One who seemed to have no problem with the fact that an alpha was sitting next to them.

Erica seemed to enjoy his quiet, simple stoniness in comparison to her outgoing, vivacious self. It was an interesting match. It reminded Derek of himself and Stiles. In strange, familiar way. He felt oddly comfortable way. Almost like pack. Which was an even stranger thing to think about.

He had, admittedly, missed his pack. His family. The desire to be independent and see more of the world did not, in any way, override the desire to be with the people he loved. He had gone through several full moons now. With each one, he felt his wolf whine. Desperate, yearning for the wolves he had been raised with. Isaac, being a beta, felt a similar way. They spent all the full moons since the beginning of the semester together. It wasn’t the same as pack. But it was better than nothing.

Once or twice, Stiles would join them. Perfectly comfortable and content to be sandwiched between to grown werewolves. Derek didn’t need to tell Isaac how uncommon that was. Or how extraordinary. Stiles was the exception to the rules. Now, he had become an exception to everything that Derek had been taught.

When the players enter the field, Derek has to strain to see Stiles. His face was obscured by a helmet. But he knew that he was number twenty-three. Just as he was beginning to lose patience, he spotted him barreling down the field. Jumping and waving his arms. Greeting the crowd. It was very in character.

While not exactly clear or educated on the rules, Derek enjoyed watching the game nonetheless. For the most part, he just kept his eye on Stiles. The young man was agile, and quick. If a little bit uncoordinated. He stumbled often, but never completely lost his footing. Throwing or catching the ball. Doing his best to keep it from the opposing team.

There was savage energy running through the crowd. Every time a goal was scored, or a ball stolen, they went on the edge of madness. It was almost infectious in a way. One that Derek wasn’t entirely used to. The closest he had felt was the full moon. Where his entire body buzzed with its brightness. This…this was eerily similar.

By the end of the game, Beacon Hills University had one. Twenty-nine to seven. An outstanding victory. The students and spectators went wild. Cheering so loud that Derek thought his eardrums might burst. Erica was on her feet. Jumping up and down. Screaming with the rest of them. Not wanting to make a spectacle of himself, Derek just stood and clapped.

“That was the best damn game of the season. We might actually might go to state!”

Erica’s voice boomed over the crowd’s as she hugged Derek. It was slightly uncomfortable. Given that her mate was literally right behind them. But Boyd simply smiled at his girlfriend’s exuberance. They part with a promise to see each other later in the week. The alpha accepted graciously. All the while wondering what he had gotten himself into. He didn’t exactly excel in social functions.

The stadium clears itself out. The light thundering of thousands of footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. It was oddly lulling in a way. Derek actually felt tired from the whole thing. Like all the tension in his body had been released. And as tempting as his bed might have seemed, he still wanted to see Stiles.

He makes his way back towards the dorm. Doing his best to navigate amongst the crowds and hordes of people going in every possible direction. Once back, he heads straight towards his dorm. Wanting a fresh change of clothes. Isaac was there. Thumbing through his phone. Paying the alpha no mind as he dressed for bed.

When he leaves, the beta gives him a look. Derek doesn’t know what it means. Or what the implications are behind it. But it’s something. Something that he’s too afraid to talk about. He ignores it in favor of making his way towards Stiles’ room. The beta could talk when he was good and ready to.

Derek doesn’t bother knocking. He never did when he visited Stiles. He had no roommate. So there wasn’t any real need to. Plus, the other man had made it clear that Derek was welcome whenever he felt like it. In hindsight, he should have probably knocked.

Stiles was standing just past the doorway. Slipping his jersey off himself whilst kicking off his cleats. Derek stopped. Dead in his tracks. The powerful scent of Stiles filled his nostrils. Making his wolf rumble with…something.

He was moving before he could even realize it. Towards Stiles. Gravitating towards him. As if he was being pulled by some unseen force. The alpha didn’t even the other man time to speak before he was kissing him. Soft, but hungry. Gentle, but desperate.

“Hey there big guy. I saw you in the stands. I’m glad that you…”

Stiles didn’t have a chance to finish whatever he was saying. Derek kissed him again. Deeper. Harder. Running his hands along the other man’s sides. Feeling the warmth of his skin. The little bumps from his moles. Each and every inch of him. Enjoying the little squeaks that escaped from his lips.

“Holy shit, dude. As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, I haven’t showered yet. And…”

“Stiles…Stop talking.”

Derek felt a low growl build in his chest. It was enough to silence Stiles. Who clamped his mouth shut. Eyes quivering in his head. The alpha wasn’t authorities or overbearing. Nor did he mean to be. But now, he felt more of his wolf come forward. Taking the reins of his self-control. He didn’t shift. That being said, he certain didn’t feel like being anywhere else at the moment.

The alpha slipped his fingers into the waistband of Stiles’ shorts. Delighting in the ways his eyes fluttered shut as he pulled them down. He was still wearing his jockstrap as the fabric fell the floor. A sizable bulge sticking out as Derek felt his own start to swell.

“Derek…”

“You want me to stop?” the alpha asked in a low voice.

Stiles didn’t answer with words. He shook his head. Desperate, needy sounds coming from his lips as Derek slipped the last barrier off. He was rather pleased with the sight that greeted him. the other man was hard. Flushed head red and leaking at the tip. Derek hadn’t seen to many other men naked outside of porn. But Stiles was big. Pleasantly so. Not overly long or thick. He couldn’t resist dropping to his knees, and burying his nose into the man’s sack.

“Fuck!”

Derek ignored Stiles’ exclamations as he savored the man’s scent. Rich. Heavy. Full of spice and musk. He felt fingers card through his hair. Not pulling, but holding him there. Desperately and wordlessly begging Derek not to stop. He obliges whole heartedly.

The first swipe his tongue makes Stiles’ shiver. His whole body rocks with it. When Derek takes him into his mouth, Stiles damn near falls over. The alpha takes pleasure in that. Sucking the other man down with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

“Derek…Fuck…Don’t stop.”

The man’s fingers tighten in his hair. Hips bucking. Fucking into Derek’s mouth with a quickly breaking restraint. The alpha took as much as he could. Gagging ever so slightly as Stiles’ cock fucked into the back of his throat. He swallowed him down just as he came. Shooting down the wolf’s throat. Emptying his balls.

“Fuck…That was…fast. I haven’t jerked off in weeks. I was saving it for you, baby.”

Derek rumbles with content as the aftershock of Stiles’ orgasm rocks his body. And then, without much else time to react or prepare, the alpha is back on his feet. Scooping the other man up. Moving towards the bed. Depositing him on his belly. As prone and willing. Derek buried his tongue into the man’s whole without further ado.

This time Stiles was completely speechless. Not even able to form so much as a single word. Derek savored his scent even more here. Unrelenting. Rich. Masculine. He worked his mouth over the man’s hairy pucker. Feeling twitch underneath his touch as Stiles gripped the sheets. Struggling to breathe.

Somewhere in between rimming him, Derek managed to get his pants off. Freeing his aching cock from the confines of the jeans he had been wearing. The mere touch of the air across the head was enough to make him shiver. And he hadn’t even touched himself yet.

And he doesn’t. Wanting to wait. Depriving of himself of that pleasure. Continuing to slather Stiles’ hole without as much as a second of reprieve. The other was a squirming, whining mess. Derek growled low in his throat. Feeling his control slipping. The shift barely teetering at the edges of his mind. His teeth itched.

When Stiles’ was good and wet, Derek slipped a finger belong side his tongue. Pressing, gently pressing inside the other man. The reaction was exactly what he had been hoping for. Stiles cussed in a way that Derek relished in. pushing the swell of his ass back into the alpha’s face. Begging for more. Derek was obliged to give it.

The alpha managed to find a bottle of lube in Stiles’ nightstand. There was plenty in there for what needed to be done. He moves back to the man’s hole. Slipping a well lubed finger alongside of it. Pressing into the man with gentle pressure.

Stiles is impatient. Squirming relentlessly. Breathing heavily. Pressing back into Derek’s fingers and tongue. Again, wordlessly begging for more. By the time the man had move onto the second finger, he was losing any sense of control. Not that he had much to begin with.

When he presses the head of his cock to Stiles’ hole, he forgets to breathe. He pauses. For a fractions of a second, every inch of him goes still. Then, he presses inside. Slowly. Deliberately. Inching his way into the other man. Until he’s fully seated. Cock completely enveloped in tight, unrelenting heat. The alpha can feel his brain short circuit.

The first thrust he takes is small. Hesitant. He had never done this before. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing. But, judging from Stiles’ reaction, he was doing something right. So, Derek fucked into him with more and more force. Until, finally, he pushes the man’s head down. Mounting him in an unrestrained frenzy. Fucking him in a primal, animalistic fashion.

The bed actually shakes with the force it. As does Stiles. Derek feels his fangs sting into his mouth. His fingers burn as he tries to keep them from turning to claws. Careful to avoid hurting Stiles. The other man seemed entirely unaware of how out of control the alpha was. Eagerly pushing back as Derek continued to fuck him.

When the alpha comes, his entire body wants to collapse. To smother Stiles in his form. To press even further into him than he already was. He holds onto the man’s hips with the veracity of iron. Unrelenting. Afraid to let go. Less the man beneath him disappear. Vanishing into smoke, never to return.

When the initial wave of it is over, Derek realizes that he hadn’t been breathing. He sucks in a breath. Still laid across Stiles. Sticky and sweaty. Reeking of sex and cum. He loved every last bit of it. There was a deep, primal satisfaction to it. Something that he had yet to experience. It was…in fewer words than none…satisfying.

When he finally manages to pull himself off and out of Stiles, Derek simply rolls over. Lying next to the other man. A panting, sweaty mess. They still for a matter of seconds. Then, they are kissing. Compared to earlier, it was soft, and steady. No rushing, or hurrying. Derek is amazed at the sweetness of it. The tenderness.

“That…that was…fuck Derek.”

“Sorry about…I didn’t mean…I didn’t meant to shift.” The alpha’s voice was small and shaky.

He had never…With Stiles, it had been different. His wolf snuck up on him before he could even realize it. And even though it was just his fangs, he had shifted nonetheless. It was a scary realization. One that, hopefully, didn’t put Stiles off having sex with him again.

“It’s not a problem, big guy. Kinda hot actually. Am I the first person that you’ve ever done that with?”

“You’re the first person…ever.” Derek said honestly.

There was a small, tense moment of silence. Then, Derek watched as Stiles’ entire face turned with red with blush. It crept all the way down his neck and into his chest. The alpha actually found it to be rather endearing.

“Derek…are you telling me that, before just now, you were a virgin?”

“Technically, no. I’ve…I’ve used heat clinics for my rut. Had partners. But outside of my rut…No. I’ve never had sex.”

Stiles seemed surprised. Derek didn’t understand why. Wolves weren’t as much into casual sex as humans were. During his rut, Derek would use a heat clinic a couple of towns over. He didn’t always have a partner to help him through it. More often than not, he chose not to. Less he risked a heat bond. Which was something he was actually quite terrified of.

“You should’ve told me.”

“Why? I had fun.” Derek said teasingly. He kissed Stiles again.

“Because, one, I would have showered first. And two, we could have had a lot more fun. Not that it wasn’t enjoyable. Actually, I was hoping we could do that again in a minute.”

“Your point, Stiles?” Derek interrupted.

“My point, big guy, is that it should have been…calmer. You should have been able to have a better experience than that.”

Derek doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he leans back towards Stiles. Kissing him. Running his hand down the man’s stomach. Through the soft, downy hair of his happy trail. Right to his groin. When he wraps his fingers around the man’s cock, he gasps. Leaning into Derek’s grip. Fucking into his hand with small motions.

“I promise, I had a good experience. In fact, I’d like to have another one.”

The alpha continues to jerk Stiles off. With the hand, he guides the man’s fingers to his hole. Pressing them there. Inviting him. Stiles didn’t need to take another hint, or be given another clue. He simply kissed the alpha, and tore himself away only to grab the lube. The rest…well…Derek certainly enjoyed himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot damn, I love two boys who know how to enjoy each other. Next chapter, Spring Break! With a touch of family drama of course. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, hi guys It's been a while. There's an update on top of this update. For transparancy's sake, I take care of Covid infencted people in 12 hour shifts. So, needless to say, work has been crazy. Any way, moving on, this chapter is full of fun little twists. Enjoy.

Derek spends the night in Stiles’ room. They take turns having enthusiastic bouts of sex. More so than he had ever had when he was in rut. More so, he was actually able to enjoy it. Given that he wasn’t half out of his mind, and on the verge of shifting.

Stiles was….attentive. Derek enjoyed how methodical and precise he was. The man certainly knew what he was doing. Which, on one hand, was rather enjoyable. On the other, it left Derek with a certain complex that he didn’t know how to manage.

Apart from being in rut, and spending several days in a clinic, he had never had sex with anyone else. Like, ever. Wolves, especially alphas, didn’t not casually date in their family. He never had a chance to actually connect with anyone else. Stiles was the first. In the sense that he was the first person Derek ever really got to know outside of his own pack. It was…strange.

They don’t talk about it. Nor does he want to. The two of them simply enjoy the feel and taste of each other’s bodies. The sensation of Stiles laid beneath him. Stretched out and willing. Smelling of spice and musk and sex. Derek doesn’t know what time they actually manage to go to bed. But they do. What awakens them is less desirable than the night before.

The door opens in the early hours of the morning. Before seven. Waking the both of them out of a dead sleep. The woman that stands in the doorway is Stiles’ age. Fiercely red hair and piercing green eyes. Meticulously put together. In a way that seemed almost effortless. Derek also detected something rather strange about her scent. It was cold, in a way. A warning. A threat.

“Good morning, Lydia. Have you forgotten your manners whilst at MIT?”

From the way Stiles spoke, he knew the young woman. In absence of a response, she simply looks the both of them up and down. As if making some manner of unspoken observation. Derek could tell, even before speaking to the woman, that there was more to her than met the eye.

“We’ll talk about this later. Get dressed.”

She leaves without another word. Gently closing the door behind her. Leaving Derek and Stiles both wondering what the hell had just happened. Derek had experienced his fair share of strangeness over the last few weeks. This was just the icing on the cake.

“And here I thought we could start the morning off with a nice round blowjobs and rimming. Oh well, Lydia was always the worst cockblock. Even back in his school.”

“An ex of yours, then?” Derek asked with a slight tremor in his voice.

“Oh, hardly. Sure, I pined hard for a while. But Lydia and I both came to realize that nothing was ever going to come of that. We’ve been inseparable friends ever since.”

Derek couldn’t detect any lies from Stiles’ heartbeat. Not that he thought that the man would ever lie to him. But that particular complex of his was coming back. Rearing its ugly little head. Making him overthink and stress himself out.

As if sensing his self-amassed distress, Stiles kisses him. Soft and sweet. Like he was something to be admired. Derek kisses him back. By some miracle, they manage to make it out of bed without becoming tangled with one another. The alpha could hear his wolf rumble is displeasure as Stiles walked towards the bathroom. He definitely wanted to pick up where they left off from last night.

He makes his way back towards his own dorm room. Not surprised to find Isaac already awake. A book in hand. It was the start of spring break. But Isaac, having a scholarship to maintain, was ever studious. His usual, placid face fell to the wayside as Derek walked in. No doubt smelling what he and Stiles had been up to the night before.

“Oh, fuck you. Go take a goddamn shower, man.”

“You don’t have to be so rude. Just because you’re not getting any.” Derek quipped.

“Says the socially awkward alpha that just barely learned how not to trip on his own dick.”

“It’s big, but it’s not that big.” Derek retorted.

Isaac throws something at his head, and the alpha neatly dodges. Getting his things together and heading towards the communal shower. When he had first moved into the dorms, he had been a little self-conscious. He had always enjoyed the privacy of his own bedroom and bathroom. Adjusting to sharing both with other people took some getting used to.

This morning, however, he felt oddly proud as he walked into the showers. Several shifters turned his way. Noses crinkled and faces twisted in various expressions. Derek ignored all of them as he made his way over towards an open shower.

Truth be told, he doesn’t take a whole of effort into actually showering himself. The wolf, the more primal side of him, wanted the smell to linger. The smell of sex with Stiles. It was an enticing one. As well, to a point, a proclamation. He had found a partner. Someone who he shared a bed with.

It lasts less than ten minutes. More than anything, it was just to let hot water run over him. Wakening the last dredges of sleep from his taught muscles. Sex with Stiles was…something of work out. And even with werewolf healing and stamina, he was a little sore.

Isaac isn’t happy when he gets back. There was still plenty of Stiles lingering on his skin. Derek had made a point for that. At the very least, he wouldn’t have been entirely intolerable to be around. The beta, unable to do much of anything about it, went back to his book.

Derek began packing his bags. Having no doubts as to what came next. His family knew that it was spring break. And they knew that he knew that he would be coming home. There wasn’t any alternative choice really. Rather than fight them on the matter, the alpha decided to just get it over with.

As he was just getting finished, he noticed that Isaac had not packed anything. Not one bag. Not one article of clothing. While it wasn’t entirely uncommon for students to spend spring break on campus, Derek couldn’t see the beta twiddling his thumbs for an entire week.

“You not going home.”

“And have to deal with my dad’s shit for a week? No fucking thank you.” Isaac’s tone was vicious and full of intent.

He didn’t want to talk about it. Derek had a feeling that it had something to do with the nightmares. There hadn’t been any as bad as the first night. But they still came. The pattern was random, and the alpha was ever attentive. Keeping one ear open as he slept. Isaac may not have had the greatest personality, but Derek never did learn to leave well enough alone.

“Why don’t you come to my place then? We’ve got plenty of room.”

“And what, in your little alpha brain, thinks that this idea would, in any way, be a good one. From what I understand, your family isn’t keen on strangers. What makes you think some random bitten would be welcome in your house?”

Derek flinched back at Isaac’s use of the word bitten. In their world, it was little doubt that werewolves weren’t exactly regarded as equals to humans. A lot of people feared them on instinct. And some business even refused to service them. Bitten wolves weren’t treated any better. In fact, they were often treated worse.

Derek had his suspicions that Isaac was bitten, but he never mentioned it. It was considered bad manners. And besides, it didn’t change who he was as a person. He truthfully didn’t care all that much. No one his family did really.

“I think they’ll just be happy that I made a friend.”

There is a small tinge of pink that creeps onto Isaac’s cheeks. Derek smiles at the beta’s blushing, but holds off on the teasing. Less he tempt the man into not packing anything. At the very least, he’d have someone other than family to talk to on his break.

Not long after Isaac packs one meager bag, there was a knock at the door. Stiles struts in without so much as a care in the world. Moving right towards Derek’s bed. Plopping himself atop the alpha, and kissing him as if they’d been apart for six months.

“Sorry, would have come sooner. But Lydia was in an integrating kind of mood.”

“And what, pray tell, was she interrogating you for?” Derek asked.

“Oh, she was livid. I hadn’t told any of my friends that I had a hot werewolf boyfriend. Lydia and I share everything. So, needless to say, she felt a little bit betrayed.”

“You could have told them about us. I mean, my entire family already knows.” Derek says slightly concerned.

“I know. But Lydia and the others get a little bit defensive of me. I’m the only human in our little group, and that makes them think that I need protecting.”

Derek didn’t bother asking Stiles to elaborate on that. His friends were his friends. Just because he happened to be the only human was of no consequence. It didn’t really matter all that much. Stiles was Stiles. Nothing was going to change that.

“Any grand plans for spring break, big guy?”

“Listening to my family’s endless criticisms whilst trying not to hang myself.” Derek deadpanned.

“Well, as I learned last night, you’re already hung.” Stiles smiled like the devil.

Isaac pretended to gag at Stiles’ lack of discretion. Derek just pulled him a little closer.

“Lydia’s down from MIT. Her boyfriend from Harvard. Danny from Columbia. And Scott from Berkley. The gang’s getting back together for one epic week.”

“And yet you’re the only one going to a local university. Isn’t that curious.” Isaac’s quip earned him the finger from Stiles.

“I’ll have you know, asshole, that I could have gotten into almost any school that I wanted. But a lack of funds, and an ailing father made sure that I stayed in Beacon Hills. So, sit on that.”

Isaac sticks out his tongue, and buries himself back in his book. Stiles just kisses Derek again. They stay like that for a while. Unconcerned with the rest of the world. Derek was certain that he and Stiles wouldn’t be able to see each other for the whole week.

Given that Stiles would be with his friends, and Derek would be with his family. Even if he somehow managed to get away from them, even for just a few hours, he didn’t want to intrude on Stiles’ time with his family. He was going to be rather busy.

Just as the alpha starts to get drowsy, Stiles kisses him goodbye. Saying something about how he still needs to take care of a few things. Being Vice-President of the dorm meant that he had certain responsibilities. Even if he was taking off for spring break.

Not long after, Derek grabbed his things, and took Isaac to the Camaro. The young beta’s eyes went wide at the sight of it. The alpha had to admit, it was an impressive, showy car. Rather the opposite of what most people assumed he was like. Isaac said nothing on the entire drive. Just absentmindedly playing on his phone.

When he pulls into the preserve, he can already tell what awaits him. It had been several months since he had been back home. But there was a sense of relief. As if all the tension had suddenly left his body. As much as he wanted independence and to experience the world, nothing could replace pack.

He was just barely getting the first of his bags out of the trunk when Laura burst out of the house. She wrapped her arms around him fiercely. Holding him so tight that he thought his spine might break. As if he might just vanish into thin air. Derek hugged her back. Feeling his wolf, after so many months, finally, truly be at ease.

“I missed you.” His sister’s voice was soft. Delicate. Unlike anything Derek had ever heard before.

“Missed you to, big sis.”

Laura doesn’t move. She doesn’t say anything else. She just holds him. Like he was the most precious thing in the world. It was only after several minutes that she noticed that they weren’t alone. Isaac was standing off to the side. Awkwardly leaning against the Camaro. Waiting for the two of them to separate.

“Sis, this is my roommate, Isaac. Isaac, this is my big sister Laura.”

Isaac gives a halfhearted wave which Laura returns. She was never good with surprise visits. Some random beta was not exactly something she was used to. They were a tight nit family, and knew other tight nit families. They didn’t flippantly socialize or converse. That’s just how Hales were.

“He’s the one Peter would have told you about.”

Laura’s eyebrows go into her hairline. A trademark of the Hale repertoire of expressions. Derek had little doubt that his uncle would have blabbed all about Isaac as soon as they got back home. He never did know when to shut up. And, given the fact that Cora was involved, he would have enjoyed the gossip even more.

Speaking of his baby sister, she had just come flying down the stairs, and out of the front door. She would have been able to catch Isaac’s scent as soon as he got out of the car. Cora stands on the front porch. A longing look in her eye. Once towards Derek, then to Isaac, then back towards Derek.

Her arms wrap around the alpha, and he melts into his sister’s embrace. It lasted only a few seconds before she released him. Turning her attention towards Isaac. The young beta’s cheeks go red. The blush spreading all the way up to the tips of his ears. Derek stifles a laugh and leaves them to it. Once inside, madness descends.

A dozen arms encase him. The feel and scent of pack surrounds him. Making his wolf more settled than it had been in recent months. Yes, he wanted his own life away from his family. But he still missed them. Craved them. In a way that words would always fail to describe.

There were ten thousand questions flying at him all at once. About anything and everything possible. Namely, and most often, about Stiles. Derek ignored all of them. Even the ones from his mother. His personal life was his own. And while he was more than happy to be home, surrounded by pack, he wasn’t going to let them stick their noses where it didn’t belong.

Peter is the last one to embrace him. He smiles coyly. A strange combination of threatening and mischievous. Derek knows that smile. And he hates it with every fiber of his being. It had been the bane of his existence for a number of years now.

“Well, look at you. Finally took the plunge did you?”

“I will eviscerate you in front of god and company, Peter.” Derek made no effort to hide the irritation in his voice.

“Oh, relax dear nephew. I’ll only be teasing you a little. The little guest you brought is going to be far more fun.”

Derek knew that Peter was going to have a field day with Isaac here. More accurately, watching Cora stumble and trip over herself. She was not the most graceful, or tactful person in the world. And for the first time in her life, she had someone that provided a sense of relief to her normal rigidity.

He also knew that Cora would break several of Peter’s bones if it came down to it. As she had little, if no tolerance for any of his bullshit. Being the only omega in the family wouldn’t save him from her anger. And to be honest, he was rather looking forward towards it. His uncle could stand to be taken down a peg. Or three. Derek smiled to himself as he walked further into the house. Surrounded by the people that drove him the craziest.

Dinner, as he expected, was a wild affair. People asking, once again, ten thousand questions they had no right to ask. Derek tolerated all of them, and ignored most of it. What happened between him and Stiles was his business. Even if his mother was rather intent on getting some of the finer details.

Peter smiles like the devil. And Derek wants to throw a glass at his face. Thankfully for Derek, there is another source of attention. Unfortunately for Isaac, it happens to be him. The family would have heard about his and Cora’s meeting when she came to see him those weeks ago. And how they were instantly attracted to each other.

Derek had a feeling that Cora would have been keeping her conversations a secret. She was a private person to begin with. The fact that she not only had such a meeting, but had been conversing…Derek knew that their mother would, no doubt, have been wanting to meet Isaac sooner rather than later. Given that he was from an unknown family, as well as Derek’s roommate. He also knew that she’d be asking more about Stiles the entire time he was here.

“So, nephew, where is that rambunctious little human you’re so infatuated with?”

Derek could feel his fangs sting into his gums. Peter was a good distance away. But he could probably rip off an arm or two before anyone grabbed ahold of him.

“He’s staying with his father, and enjoying the break with his friends.”

“Pity. I figured you would’ve been enjoying each other. Given what you came home smelling like.”

Derek was seriously going to murder his uncle. But, seeing as they were still at dinner, he opted to keep eating. And wait until everyone had diverted their attention. He could work on figuring out where to hide the body in the meantime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was great. Next chapter, Stiles may or may not meet the family. And Derek will face a rather uncomfortable choice. Thanks for reading. As always, much love.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some feels in this chapter. Nothing all that special.

Derek had been home for a matter of three days. That was it. Just three days. And already, despite having missed his pack, his family, more than words could describe, he was already on the verge of committing murder-suicide. Which, given that most of the wolves in his family were alphas, would be no easy task.

As he suspected, his family was rambunctious and invasive. He had expected this when he came home for spring break. The questions never stopped. Every waking minute, they tried to pry into everything that had happened.

Some were simple. The classes he was taking. The professors. Their course choice. His homework. His assignments. So on and so forth. Things that he didn’t mind answering. Others…others were rather obvious. Mainly, the questions had to do with Stiles.

The fact that he was human. The fact that he was younger than Derek. (By a whole two years.) What Stiles himself was studying. What his friends were like. What his father was like. Questions that would have violated a huge amount of trust. So, as he had done, Derek refused to answer.

It wasn’t that hard to figure out who Stiles’ father was. Stilinski wasn’t exactly a common name this day and age. As it turned out, he was the sheriff of Beacon County. Which was something interesting enough. The Hales were a rather large, wealthy family. They had lived in Beacon Hills for decades. As such, they had a vague understanding of current law enforcement.

Namely, because of the implications of them being werewolves. And while the world had made plenty of progress in recent years, that wasn’t always the case. Plenty of the older members of Derek’s family had faced plenty of hardships in the past. Forty years wasn’t all that much time. Not in the grand scheme of things. Especially when Derek knew wolves could live to be well over a century.

Derek didn’t find himself all that concerned with who Stiles’ father was. Given that the man had an excellent reputation in their community. He was more concerned with his family’s prying and snooping. The Hales had plenty of connections. Both high and low. Local and state governments.

Some of his cousins were on the fast track to being high powered officials. Even with being werewolves, education and results were enough to sway some. Derek didn’t really identify with that level of ambition. He didn’t really know what he wanted to do yet. Thankfully, that was one thing his parents had never really pressured him on.

What they did pressure him on, was wanting to meet Stiles. To have a nice, relaxed dinner. It was traditional in their family. What it was, in reality, was an interrogation. They would relentlessly drill Stiles until the man would lose his mind. Just as they were currently doing to Derek.

The other unfortunate victim, was of course, Isaac. The first night, his family solely focused their attention towards Derek. Hammering him left and right. The next, Isaac was on the chopping block. Being fawned over and charmed and pulled in every possible direction.

Given that he was a wolf, even a bitten one, he fared fare better in the family’s opinion than Stiles did. The idea of a dating a human wasn’t something that any of them were readily going to accept. So, being a fellow werewolf helped considerably.

His mother was the most forward of them. And straight up asked, at dinner, if Isaac was sleeping with Cora. The young beta proceeded to choke on a mouthful of food. Nearly dying in the process. Peter got a jolly good kick out of that. What no one got a kick out of, was Cora.

His sister had never been one for decorum. Given the nastiness she had faced from people when she was young. The harshness of the world imprinting on her from an early age. It left her bitter, and somewhat confrontational. Derek loved his baby sister dearly. But she definitely did not do well with social graces.

The end result being the fact that she shifted in front of god and company. Openly challenging their mother. Eyes glaring red. Fangs bared and dripping with menace. Derek thought, for sure, that he would end up having to break up a fight. Less his mother and sister rip each other to pieces.

Much to his, and everyone else’s surprise, the fight did not take place. Having recovered from his choking fit, Isaac had placed a hand on Cora’s shoulder. Gently, but firmly pulling her away from the anger that had consumed her. Derek was both stunned and impressed.

When Cora was in the mood to fight, it was rather difficult to have her calm down. To any degree for that matter. But with one single, simple touch, Isaac had prevented a massacre at dinner. It was then that Derek, as well as the rest of his family new, maybe this ‘mates’ thing was a bit more realistic than they thought.

After that, things calmed down a bit. Well, at least more than Derek thought that they would. His family was still invasive, nosey, and borderline intolerable. Much to his surprise, it was his father that approached him next.

Markus Hale was a large, quiet man. Well-liked by his peers, and well respected by the other packs in the area. He was not overly loquacious, nor emotional. As many alpha male werewolves of his age, he had a certain brand of love, and a certain brand of affection.

Derek was in the study, relaxing, however briefly, away from the chaos of his family. His father enters without a word. Sitting down across the room. Looking out the window, gazing in the soft setting sun. Derek didn’t have to be a genius to figure out was going on. His father was a man of few words. So when he stayed in your presence, privately, those words would be spoken.

“We’re going to have to meet him eventually, son.”

“I don’t see why. We haven’t even been together all that long.” Derek said passively.

His father doesn’t look towards him. He just keeps looking at the window. A wondering expression on his face.

“When I was a younger man, I dated a human woman. She knew what I was. Didn’t bother to hide it. I think you can guess how it ended.”

Derek closed his book. Paying far closer attention now. His parents never talked about their private lives. Certainly not what their lives were like before they met each other. Pack didn’t keep secrets. At least, not like humans kept secrets.

Deception and lies undermined pack hierarchy. It created chaos and disruption. Derek knew that. Of course, everyone was entitled to their own privacy. That was a given. But there was some things, even amongst family, that they did not openly discuss. This was one of them.

“It didn’t last all that long. A few weeks. Point is, when people found out…they called her all kinds of terrible things. ‘Dog fucker’. ‘Species traitor’. She had to move. They showed up to our house with guns…”

“Things have changed.” Derek said softly. Trying to hold back tears.

“That’s true. But son, people are still hateful. And at times, vengeful. I want you to understand that. I want you to understand, that no matter how times change, all it takes is one person. One person to decide that your life is not worth anything in the eyes of society.”

It wasn’t as if Derek hadn’t thought about it. The things that had happened in the past. How society used, and at times, still viewed their kind. How they were deemed less than human. Because, truthfully, they weren’t. Humans couldn’t change their shape. Grow fangs or claws. Heal miraculously from bullets or car crashes. The way the world used to be was not a pleasant place for their kind.

Shifters could not hold public office. Or even vote to begin with. They could not own businesses. Could not have a license without going through an endless amount of red tape. And even then, the jobs that they were allowed to hold rarely afforded them a car.

Needless to say, being in a relationship with a human was considered taboo, if not entirely illegal in some states. Most housing districts wouldn’t even allow humans and werewolves to live together. Derek knew this. And he knew, even with all the progress the world had made, there were still people that viewed him as an animal. A thing. A creature.

Sometimes, on darker days, he does worry. Society, however small, had changed. It took decades. Years upon years of fighting and protesting and legal tie ups. But it had changed. And as his father said, all it took was one person. Truthfully, Derek did worry about that some days. He worried about all of it.

“I understand. But I still don’t see why you want to meet him so badly.”

“Well son, I’d like to meet the man that managed to break through your fascinatingly annoying habit of self-seclusion. Let’s face it, until you went off to college, you were basically a hermit.” His father said playfully.

Derek felt his face got hot. A small blush creeping up his neck. His father wasn’t wrong. Up until his decision to venture out into the wild, wide world, he hadn’t really done much of anything with his life. Not that he had been given much opportunity to do so. Thanks to his parents.

He relents to his father, and tells him that he’d talk to Stiles about it. That, at the very least, seemed like a satisfactory answer. His father smiles, clapping him on the shoulder. Leaving without another word. It was the most they had spoken since he’d gotten back home.

His family is overjoyed, and just as nosey, at the fact that Derek was willing to let them meet Stiles. Isaac, in his truest fashion, told them not to get there hopes up. The alpha threw a dinner role at him for good measure. Cora laughed and snatched it. Scarfing it down in a heartbeat.

The next day, Derek was set to meet Stiles. Which, in of itself, was not a big deal. What was a big deal, was that he would be going to Stiles’ house. They had not been to each other’s houses yet. And Derek had not met any of Stiles’ family. And Stiles had only met Peter and Cora. There was a certain sense of nervousness attached to the whole thing.

When he arrived, it wasn’t exactly what the alpha had been expecting. It was a rather modest, two story house. Red brick, and warm vanilla brown door. Plenty of windows. It was nice. Just not as large as his own. Which made sense, given that Derek lives with a dozen werewolves.

When he knocks on the door, part of it, a small, terrifying part of it, feels like a death rattle. He is scared beyond measure. The moment fells out of scope and large than life. Even if it was something as small as visiting his boyfriend.

The door opens, and Derek barely has any time to say hello. Actually, he doesn’t have time to say hello at all. The familiar taste of Stiles’ lips meets his own. Settling down the wolf that had been aching for days. Derek had been excited to see his family, yes. But he was also excited to see Stiles.

It lasts for what feels like forever. And in the same moment, not nearly long enough. When Stiles pulls away, he’s grinning ear to ear. Unmistakably mischievous. Derek knows that look. It’s one part happiness, one part trickster.

“Hey big guy.” The man’s words were as soft as velvet and laced with sin.

“Hey, yourself. Anybody home?”

“No dirty thoughts, sourwolf. Dad will be home soon enough. As well as Scott and the others. I’m only here because I’m behind on studying.”

Derek, honestly, feels a small part of him deflate in disappointment. While he had come to talk to Stiles about meeting his family, he was also, however brief, hoping to get some private time. In multiple positions. Realizing that it wasn’t going to happen, he allowed himself to be drug into the house.

It smelled intensely of Stiles. The man’s scent was one that Derek could never mistake, or forget. Not after everything that they had done. It wasn’t entirely overwhelming. It was like a soft layer of light covering everything. It made…it made the alpha feel warm. Almost like this was his home as well. Which was a dangerous thought to have.

Stiles leads them to the living room. Stretching out across the couch. With Derek laying atop him. The alpha nestles himself into the other man’s neck. Relishing in the soft, warm musk of him. The sound of his heartbeat. The feel of the blood running through his veins. The life of him. The sheer, unyielding life. It was something that Derek didn’t know he could crave. But it was something he never wanted to give up.

“You’re being awful quiet for someone who wanted to talk.”

“I did want to talk, but I also missed you.” The alpha said softly.

Stiles doesn’t say anything. He just runs his fingers through Derek’s hair. Lightly scratching at his scalp. It was a soothing motion. Something that Derek had not felt before. At least, not from a lover. Not that he had many. None, actually. Only rut partners who he never saw for a second time. Stiles was far more than that. And the alpha was scared to admit it to himself. Even now, as he laid atop the man.

It was a strange thing. Realizing why he was so scared. Why he was so apprehensive. Why, even though he loved his family, he was scared of Stiles officially meeting them. It was actually rather simple when he let his anxiety move to the side, and his thoughts become clear.

He loved Stiles. Not in that period romance way. Full of clichés and cheesy lines. But rather, in a soft,

persevering splendor. Derek had been raised, his entire life, to never trust humans. That, even though they lived and occupied the same world, humans were not their friends. That they, amongst all their history, were, in many ways, the enemy.

That perception, in its entirety, had been shattered. Derek had decided to go to college. Sending a roar of disruption through his entire family. Arriving at college. Meeting Stiles. His classes. His professors. All of it. The fears that he had been raised with. The anxieties of his own decision. He felt all of them melt away. And it had started with Stiles. Meeting his family, meeting his pack….he was afraid that all of it might just vanish into thin air.

“My family wants to meet you.”

“Figure it would be something like that. Surprised it took them this long to demand it. Given your little sister.” Stiles’ expression was somewhere Derek could not reach.

“They’re curious as to what kind of man you are man. What kind of a man your family is. So on and so forth.”

Derek hoped, even against everything he had been raised around, that his family wouldn’t be too invasive. Stiles was rather steeled, given that he was a member of the staff at their college, and had to deal with a bunch of unruly college boys on a near daily basis.

“We’re simple folk around here, sourwolf. Well, Lydia and Jackson are pedigree, but harmless. Scott’s and alpha, but basically a puppy. Been that way since we were kids.”

Derek felt his wolf stir at the mention of this Scott person. He knew that he and Stiles were friends. Had been that for quite a long time. But that knowledge that the man was an alpha…he felt somewhat competitive. Like he needed to stake a claim. Which wasn’t exactly sensible, but exactly what he wanted to do.

Derek moves himself up over Stiles. Smothering the other man as he lays atop him. Pressing their chests together. Liking a stripe up the side of his throat. Feeling the man’s pulse dance on his tongue. It earned him a rather scandalous sound from Stiles. The alpha growled low in his chest. Happy and content.

“Derek…as much as I want to, and believe me, I really fucking do, my dad will be home soon, and I don’t wanna get caught with my pants around my ankles.”

The alpha pressed himself further into Stiles. Taking his hands, and pinning the man’s hands above his head. Moving to the other side of the neck. Time stretched and bent and faded. Derek felt his wolf howl with delight. He felt his fangs drop….

The instant Derek felt his gums sting, he leapt off the couch. Leapt off of Stiles. He knew that he was half shifted. Eyes red. Fangs in his mouth. His wolf, against his will, had come to the surface. He didn’t know…he didn’t understand. Until he did. His rut had started. Derek never ran so fast in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was one hell of a way to end things. Next chapter will probably be the last. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter. It's been a fun 30,000 words. Fair warning, most of this chapter is angst. But with a happy ending.

A week. That’s how long Derek’s rut lasted. Normally, for an average wolf, it would last about 3 days. Given on whether or not they had a partner. Derek didn’t have a partner for the first time until he was seventeen. It was a difficult decision to make. Given the awkwardness of it all. Before that, he averaged five days.

But after having a rut partner, his rut stabilized and he found himself in a much better routine. There were, as always, plenty of medications on the market. Derek did not enjoy any of them. He had read the list of side effects and wanted absolutely nothing to do with them. Whatsoever.

Now that he was in his early twenties, things had reached a certain level of normalcy. He could expect his rut every 6 months. Twice a year. That was it. And it was still two months away when it hit him while was with Stiles. He had never been so embarrassed in his life.

Yes, he and Stiles had already had sex. That was one thing. But rut…he didn’t like the way it felt. His wolf wild and unhinged. Desperate. Feral. Needy. The alpha had been working his way into the conversation that he would have to have with Stiles. The long talk. Because….he was human.

Derek had never had a human partner for his rut before. The clinic only offered other wolves. There were, of course, places that had had human partners on staff. But Derek had never had the courage to even consider that before. Let alone ever entering a relationship with one. Stiles had broken every notion and convention that he had grown up with.

He spent a week in his room. Whiny. Desperate. Achingly hard. With not ounce of relief. Nothing he did satisfied him. The fever of it. Sheened with an unrelenting wave of sweat. The entire room reeking of his own hormones and cum. Derek hated. Every last part of him wanted to rip the door of its hinges. Thrash through the house, and go barreling straight towards Stiles. But he knew that he couldn’t.

Wolves understood their ruts and their heats because they had been raised with it. Taught by their parents. Experienced it themselves first hand. He knew how he could get. Hell, the first time he ever had a rut partner, he stayed shifted for most of it. His wolf was uncontrolled and unrestrained. It had gotten better over the years. But he…he didn’t want Stiles to see that. To see him as a mindless animal. To be seen as all the things that people said they were.

So, he stayed in his room for a week. Laura brought him fresh sheets and food when he needed it. Isaac, the poor bastard, agreed to come over and give Derek his assignments. Seeing as his rut was running through the end spring break. More so, he came to see how Derek was doing. Given that the alpha hadn’t been out of his room for the week.

The beta was surprisingly comfortable sharing a room with an alpha in rut. Most of the other members of Derek’s family could hardly stand the smell of it. Isaac, however, seemed perfectly content to sit in the armchair. Reading while the alpha did his best to calm down. It was an ongoing effort.

Throughout the whole thing he never once talked to Stiles. Not a phone call. Not a text. It was an embarrassing thing for him. More so than he was ready to admit to himself. More so than he was ready to deal with. Having that conversation. As much as Stiles could claim to understand, as open minded as he could be…

Old fears ran deep. Old prejudices. Derek was afraid of the misconceptions that the other man might have had. About him. About what it actually meant to go into a rut, and the process that an alpha endured because of it. He wasn’t ready, or even willing to entertain the idea that Stiles might react badly. So, he said nothing.

When the last dregs of it left him, Derek braced himself to going back to class. It was no secret at this point that he was a werewolf, and an alpha at that. After he and Stiles became official, everyone knew. Everyone talked about it. To an extent anyway. The vice president of the boy’s dorm, dating a werewolf. Apparently, it was big news. Then it faded. Now, everyone would know why he was gone for a week.

Ignoring the potentially embarrassing questions, he made his way onto campus. Prepared for the worst. What he got, was nothing. Not one of his classmates asked any questions. He had already submitted the paperwork to the Dean’s office. Explaining what had happened. And they were in the process of removing the absences from his record.

Everything was going fine until his first break. Much as he always did, he enjoyed a late breakfast in the campus café. A small coffee with an egg sandwich. Simply minding his own business. That is until Erica came and plopped herself down in front of him. Eyes tight and angry. Something that Derek was unfamiliar with.

“You stink.”

Her words were bitter and harsh sounding. There was an edge to them. Something unspoken and shadowy. She was very clearly upset. Derek didn’t need to be able to smell the acridness of her scent to know that much. But he had no idea as to why she was upset.

“Well, I did just come off a rut cycle. I suppose my hormones are still a little out of whack.”

“Rut, or not rut. You have been a certified tool for the past week, alpha boy.” She said plainly.

“What are you….”

“Stiles, you dumbass. Your boyfriend? He’s been worried and you haven’t answered the damn phone. He had to get Isaac and, get this, Cora to tell him how you were doing. Needless to say, he isn’t happy about that bit.”

Derek felt his stomach drop, and his face go cold. He had, once he got over everything, going to talk to Stiles. But he hadn’t…he hadn’t expected…this wasn’t good. He abandons his coffee and sandwich. Heading towards the staffing office. Hoping that Stiles would be there. Hoping that he…he could only hope.

No one pays him any mind when he enters. Even though he is by no means a member of the staff. Derek just walks past. Looking for Stiles. The alpha finds him at the back. Sifting through paperwork. Only when Derek moves closer does he even notice him. The alpha smiles in a small way. Trying to look as innocent as possible.

“Stiles, I…”

“Leave.” He said cutting Derek off.

“Stiles, listen. I just…”

“I’m not in the mood to talk to you right now, Derek. So, for both our sake’s, just go.” The man’s words were shaky, and full of something that the alpha couldn’t quite recognize.

Seeing that there wasn’t anything that he could say, he left. Trying his best to fight off the tears welling in his eyes. The rest of his classes pass by in a blur. Derek functions on auto-pilot. Crashing as soon as he made it back to his dorm. Collapsing on the bed in a heap.

He doesn’t cry. Even though, logically, he should be balling his eyes out. But, he doesn’t. He just lays there. Numb and incoherent. Oblivious to anything and everything around him. Derek doesn’t know what to do, or how to feel. It was only later than he actually realized it. He and Stiles were fighting. At least, some version of it anyway.

Derek doesn’t know when, or how he falls asleep. But he does. It was surprisingly restful. Given that he was currently on the edge of an emotional breakdown. That he was teeming with both guilt and embarrassment. He’s awoken by Isaac coming back from one of his late classes. From the way the beta plops down on his bed, he’s had about a good a day as Derek.

They sit in silence for a while. Saying nothing to each other. Doing nothing. Then, Isaac is moving. He lays himself down next to Derek. Inches apart, but the warmth of him is comforting. At some point, Derek began to see Isaac as pack. He didn’t know when exactly. And even though they didn’t always get along, he certainly enjoyed the man’s company. It was a solemn comfort in a sea of discomfort.

“Stiles isn’t talking to me.”

“That should be a given. Since you ignored him for a week.” Isaac said harshly. Derek flinched back from the truth of it.

“I…how do you explain that to someone? How do you tell a human that you become….” Derek couldn’t find the words.

“A raging sex machine that literal starts to foam at the mouth, and has troubling controlling the shift?” Don’t know. I’m not an alpha. I don’t have a rut. But something would have been better than what you did. On top of not talking to him for a week, you literally bolted out of his house without saying a word.”

Derek hadn’t thought about that part. When he felt that his rut had started, it scared him. It scared him a lot. Namely, because it was too early. And, the situation that he found himself in was…He was already on top of Stiles. His wolf clamoring to be let loose. The shift just a hair’s breathe away from taking over. He could have hurt him.

“It’s not that bad. But I get your point. I…I don’t know what to do, Isaac.” Derek could feel his voice break as he spoke.

“Give him time. Stiles isn’t one for grand gestures, or fancy embellishments. He’s pissed, and rightfully so. So, right now, best to leave him alone. Because he isn’t in any state to actually listen to you at the moment.”

Derek doesn’t really have a rebuttal. Given that everything that Isaac had said was right. And that Stiles had every right to be mad at him. Derek would be mad as well, had he been human. He hadn’t thought about it from that perspective. If Stiles had been a wolf, things would have been a little bit easier. But he wasn’t a wolf, and things were by no means easy.

“So why are you in such a bad mood then?” Derek asked trying to take the attention away from himself.

“I kissed your sister during spring break.”

“And? Surely that wasn’t the end of it.” Derek waited for Isaac to respond.

“I…I may have been…a bit bad at it? I don’t know, but Cora didn’t really seem that into it. She’s been texting me less ever since.”

Derek had to try and keep himself from laughing. Cora was the most abrasive out of all of their family. She was also the one who struggled the most with her emotions. Anger came second nature to her, and awkwardness as well. He knew exactly what was wrong with his little sister.

“She’s never had a boyfriend before. It probably took her by surprise, and now she’s sulking because she didn’t get to make the first move.”

“Why the fuck would _she_ be sulking? That makes no sense.” Isaac said with a rather irritated tone.

“She’s an alpha. Chock it up to our foot first nature. Mostly. That, and she doesn’t process stuff like this all that well. More than likely, she’ll end up buying you something to make up for her emotional constipation.”

Isaac laughed at that. Because, as unlikely as it sounded, given Cora’s usual coarseness, it was absolutely true. She didn’t have all that much in the way of emotional processing. But she knew when she made a mistake, and that she needed to make up for it.

They stay like that for a while. Simply laying with each other. Laughing at their own incompetence and the craziness of their lives. Derek appreciates it. More so than he could put into words. More so than Isaac could ever understand. It wasn’t until there was knock at the door. Interrupting them. Isaac is the one who answers it.

The alpha already knew who it was. He had expected Stiles to come see him. Just not so soon. He stood in the doorway. Eyes tight and pensive. Posture as rigid as stone. It looked as if he was on the verge of leaving. As if it took nearly everything he had to come here. Derek wondered just how Stiles was feeling.

“Isaac, take my credit card and go get us something to eat?”

“Any limit on that?” He asked while not looking away from Stiles.

“Try your best to keep it under three hundred. Invite Boyd and Erica to.”

The beta just nods. Swiftly taking the card from Derek. Quickly making himself scarce. Shutting the door behind him. When it closes, it feels like a cannon going off. The alpha nearly flinches with the sound of it. Stiles just stands there. Looking at Derek with an expression that he couldn’t really decipher. There was anger, certainly. But…there was also something else. If the alpha had to give it a word, it would have been sadness.

“You’re an asshole, Derek Hale.”

He didn’t really have rebuttal for that. He didn’t have a rebuttal for anything that had happened over the last week. The fact that he stormed out of Stiles’ house with no explanation. That he ignored all of his calls and texts. That he willingly saw Isaac but not his own boyfriend. None of it was justifiable. There were no words that could make it right.

“I’m sorry…I…” Derek found himself struggling to speak.

“You left. You _left_. Right in the middle of kissing me. On the day you were supposed to meet my dad. Do you have any idea how shitty I felt? And then, to top that shit cake, you ignored me for a fucking week. A week, Derek. A week I had to hear what was happening to you from _other_ people.”

Stiles was breathing heavily now. Great heaving falls of his chest. The man’s normal, pleasant scent was tinged with a horrible acridness. Derek felt his wolf whine. He wanted to hold Stiles. Hold him and hug him and kiss him. To tell him how wonderful he was. To shout apologies in an endless stream. If it would only earn him the barest amount of forgiveness.

“I…my rut started early. I…I didn’t want you to see me like that. I was…afraid. Afraid of what you might say or think.”

“Did it ever occur to you that you could always talk to me about it? Given that was already dating and sleeping with you?” It was a fair question.

“I…Stiles, I’ve never been in this world. I was raised to fear and be cautious of humans. I certainly never thought I’d date one. Certainly never thought I’d have sex with one either. I never had sex with anybody outside my rut. You were the first, and I…I didn’t want to ruin things.”

It wasn’t the hardest thing that he’d ever admitted to himself, but it still hurt to say it. It hurt to admit it to Stiles. The deepest, nastiest parts of his insecurities. The fact that he ran because he was afraid. The fact that he was embarrassed. It hurt. And in light of his own hurt, he had hurt Stiles.

“Derek, you’ve had my dick in your mouth. What makes you think you couldn’t talk to me about this?”

There was a brief pause, and Derek found himself laughing. It was an unexpected thing for Stiles to say, and an unexpected thing for Derek to hear. The bluntness of it was also unexpected. Even though it came from Stiles.

“I…I didn’t know how to. I didn’t even know how to begin. How would I even bring it up?”

“Well, that’s a fair point. But as long as you’ve gotten something to talk about, I’ll listen to you. You doofas.” Stiles’ face was softer now. His eyes, softer now. As well as his voice.

He doesn’t know which of them moves first. But one of them does. Closing the short distance between them. It had felt like miles. Derek buries his nose in the man’s neck. Falling into the warmth of him. The depth of him. For the first time since his rut had ended, he felt at peace. He felt…home.

“I love you.”

The alpha said the words before he could even realize what he was doing. He doesn’t know if what he was said was real. The fact of it seemed distorted and fuzzy. It felt out of place. It was the first time he had said it to someone other than his family. It was the first time he had said it to Stiles.

The other man doesn’t say anything. He just pulls Derek closer. Kissing him softly. He tastes like the sun. Bright and unrelenting. Derek never wanted that feeling to end. He wanted to fall into it further and further and further still. He wanted to never let go.

“I love you to, sourwolf.”

“I still hate that damn nickname.” Derek said with a sour tone.

“You can hate it all you like. You can also hate the fact that my dad still wants to meet you.” The man said with a smirk.

Derek suddenly found his throat closing up rather tightly. With everything that had been going on, with his unexpected rut, and Stiles mad at him, he had forgotten. He was supposed to have met the man. And in running out on Stiles, he had inadvertently run out on his father. That realization of its own was terrifying enough.

“Maybe we can at least wait until we’re finished eating?” Derek asked tenuously.

“Maybe. I hope Isaac gets Chinese. How long do you think it’ll take him?” Stiles asked.

“Don’t know, why?”

“Because I haven’t seen you naked in a week, and there are some things I’d like to try to make up for lost time.”

The smirk on Stiles’ face would have put the devil to shame. Derek didn’t bother to put a sock on the door. Didn’t even bother to lock it. Isaac had good enough hearing to know what they would be doing. If he still chose to walk in on them, that was his problem. Derek was far too excited to care about much of anything else. Stiles yelling about the alpha literally ripping off his pants could be settled later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek and his feelings. That was a fun fic to write. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.

**Author's Note:**

> That was a fun way to start a fic. Next chapter, Derek gets used to being around so many humans for the first time in his life. One, in particular actually. Thanks for reading, and as always, much love.


End file.
